2 Potential Heirs to Juventus Great Andrea Pirlo's Throne

With Xavi having announced his intention to leave Europe at the end of the season and Paul Scholes having already taken up a media role, Andrea Pirlo remains the last great midfielder of his generation still plying his trade at the highest level.

The 36-year-old has been at the top of the continental scene for over a decade, as instrumental for Juventus today as he was for Milan when they beat the Bianconeri to the Champions League crown back in 2003. His passing remains a joy to behold, and the player himself embodies an effortless style both on and off the pitch which has won him an army of admirers across the globe.

Yet his career is also winding down, with Pirlo perhaps putting a time limit on his days with the Turin giants in a recent interview with Today online. “Two more years with Juventus, then maybe I will move to the MLS in the United States,” he mused (h/t Football Italia).

That shows he is conscious that he cannot play forever, and the Bianconeri—and indeed the Italian national team—will certainly miss his calming influence. The search for a replacement could prove interesting, and over the following pages is a look at two men ready to step into his shoes as potential heirs to the great man’s throne.

The in-House Solution

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When Pirlo missed the start of this season with an injury, Juventus began with Paul Pogba in his position, the youngster deputising once again as he had done at various stages since arriving from Manchester United.

Massimiliano Allegri—unlike Antonio Conte—believed that move robbed the Bianconeri of the Frenchman’s natural attacking instincts and opted for a different solution. Shifting Claudio Marchisio in the central role proved to be a masterstroke, and the 29-year-old has thrived at the heart of midfield all season.

More dynamic than Pirlo, the Turin native moves the ball more quickly but with equally excellent accuracy. He may not be able to reproduce the set-piece wizardry of the old master, but he remains a fine alternative and can expect to feature there more and more as Pirlo plays less frequently in future.

The Azzurri Answer

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If Marchisio is the answer at club level, for Italy there is little doubt that Marco Verratti is the man Italy will turn to when Pirlo chooses to retire from the international scene. The Paris Saint-Germain midfielder is seen as perhaps the most obvious heir, playing in a similar role with Pescara before leaving for France back in 2012.

Serie A clubs thought the fee for him was expensive, but it has proven to be a shrewd investment by the Ligue 1 side, with Verratti blossoming into a fine player worthy of playing for one of the continent’s biggest teams.

The player himself is flattered by the comparisons between himself and the iconic Juventus star, as he told the UEFA website back in April (h/t beIN Sports):

"

It would be a huge honour to replace Pirlo, Andrea has had a great career and he still is a fantastic player who can make a difference in any match. To be considered close to a champion like him is a great honour. I admire players like Iniesta, Pirlo – they are players I've always learned from.

I play the way I like to play. I like playing in midfield, and I like it when we come off the pitch and we've won and I've had fun.

"

Like Marchisio, he brings an energy and drive that Pirlo has rarely displayed, but he perhaps lacks the creative long-range passing of the 2006 World Cup winner. Both men are fine options, although neither has yet enjoyed the long and distinguished career that sets Andrea Pirlo aside in a class of his own.