Pirlo insists he won't resign after AC Milan hammer Juventus

Andrea Pirlo says that he will not stand down from his role as Juventus head coach despite another major setback against AC Milan on Sunday.

Rookie boss Pirlo watched from the sidelines as the Bianconeri were dismantled 3-0 at home by their rivals.

The heavy loss came just a week after Juventus had officially relinquished the Serie A crown for the first time after nine successive titles.

What was said?

Speaking to Sky Sports after the match, Pirlo said: “Resign? No, I won’t step aside. I took this role with a great deal of enthusiasm amid certain difficulties. I am at the disposal of the club, there are still three games to go, so I will continue doing my work as long as I am allowed to.

“I had a different project in my mind and thought I would have a different group at my disposal. I had been working on some concepts, but then I had to make changes in order to suit their characteristics and had to adapt.

“It’s not that this team is resistant to change, but if you have some things in your mind and they become more difficult with certain players. If I cannot get the best out of these players, that is my fault and I certainly need to do better.

“If something didn’t go right, I take responsibility. This squad is made up of great players, clearly something did not work.”

The bigger picture

Juventus are now in grave danger of missing out on the Champions League entirely next season. With three matches of the season remaining, they are fifth in the league, three points behind both Atalanta and Milan, as well as one back of Napoli.

And Juventus face a testing schedule. On Wednesday, they travel to eighth-placed Sassuolo before hosting Inter, their fiercest rivals and this season's Serie A champions, next Saturday. The Coppa Italia final against Atalanta follows on May 19 before a final trip to mid-table Bologna.

With Juve in financial difficulties, they can barely afford to miss out on the money-spinning Champions League, making the next two weeks absolutely vital to their hopes in the years ahead.

Further reading

• Euros in doubt for Ibrahimovic after knee injury vs Milan
• 'McKennie is more professional now' - Pirlo discusses USMNT midfielder's weight loss
• Milan deal Juventus a hammer blow