Pirlo – MLS move may see me miss out

New York City FC midfielder Andrea Pirlo has admitted that he could miss out on Italy’s squad for the European Championships due to his career in the MLS.

Pirlo decided to end his long and successful career in Italy last summer as he joined New York at the age of 36.

The now 37-year-old has yet to retire from international football, but his last Italy cap came in September during the 1-0 win over Bulgaria in the Euro 2016 qualifiers.

Pirlo has picked up 116 caps so far for his country but he may not be able to add to that tally under Antonio Conte.

The former AC Milan star has refused to give up hope of representing his country but he concedes that a move to MLS was still the right thing to do.

“When someone decides to come to the US, he knows what he’s getting into. I reflected on this and I knew what the risks were,” he told Gazzetta dello Sport. “It’s clear that anyone who plays in Belgium or another league with less quality still has a chance of making the Champions League or the Europa League. And that’s what makes the difference.

“Conte has still not named the final squad. The players who are still playing in official games have not been called up. Sebastian [Giovinco, of Toronto FC] and I talked to Conte about the decision. It’s still possible.”