12 Times Andrea Pirlo Proved He Was Human Perfection

3. When He Stuck Two Fingers Up At Racism And Bigotry

It€™s no secret that Italian football has had its fair share of controversy over the years. Corruption, match-fixing and, inevitably, racism. The most identifiable figure with regards to suffering racist abuse in Italian football is one of their most unique in Mario Balotelli. An A.C. Milan vs Roma match in 2013 which featured Balotelli was temporarily suspended due to fan abuse directed at him, and he was substituted in tears after allegedly being on the receiving end of racist chanting from Napoli fans during a game against Milan in early 2014. Step up Andrea Pirlo, a staunch supporter and friend of Balotelli, who masterfully swept aside the bigots with a few choice extracts from his autobiography: €˜I€™m not sure he really appreciates it yet, but he€™s a special kind of medicine, an antidote to the potentially lethal poison of the racists you find in Italian grounds. They€™re a truly horrendous bunch, a herd of frustrated individuals who€™ve taken the worst of history and made it their own.Prandelli has given us national team players some firm direction on the matter. €œIf you hear people in the stands disrespecting Mario, run over to him and hug him.€ In that idea hate can be cancelled out by an equivalent dose of love. Not a fashionable choice, but a pretty forceful idea.The way I see it, is capable of becoming a symbol of the fight against racism, both in Italy and throughout the world.€™ Completely inspiring. If Andrea Pirlo isn€™t president of FIFA within the next 20 years and righting all that€™s wrong with football then football itself deserves to burst like an old beaten Mitre that€™s been booted around a playground for too long by someone called Joseph€