Despite being arguably the most gifted playmaker of his generation and winning nearly every trophy ever, the one blemish on his copybook is that of the European Championships. In 2012, he would come agonisingly close to adding to his array of Scudetto, Champions League and World Cup winners medals. During a tournament in which he won three man of the match awards (joint highest with Andres Iniesta), en route to the final he would single-handedly dismantle England and score the most brazen shoot-out penalty in living memory. Unfortunately he was unable to help his side to the title as they succumbed to the Spanish juggernaut, losing four nil in the final. It was too overwhelming for the Architect and he delicately wept into his hands at the final whistle, imparting as much grace in his grief as his feet do to a football. Thankfully, however, Pirlo would become far stronger for the experience, grow an almost indescribably impressive beard and consequently redefine the word man-crush for legions of unwitting fans.
Chris James Peet says hello. His interests include hoping for the best and sitting in chairs. He much prefers moaning to counting his blessings and suffers fools gladly. He also likes to look out of the window and check what's in the fridge but he hates standing up, dripping taps and reality.
