Azzurri no one-man show, insists Pirlo

Much of Italy’s success for the past decade owes to the creativity and determination of Andrea Pirlo.

The veteran midfielder insisted yesterday, however, that the main strength of the Azzurri is their reliance on team play and not on any single individual.

“This national team is not Pirlo-dependent,” the 35-year-old said. “In order to go all the way you need everyone’s contribution. Our aim should be to win and go until the end. We have a very competitive team and we will give our all to win this tournament.