Andrea Pirlo and Igor Tudor were meant to be the dream team at the Turin giants when they were appointed in August 2020.
The 46-year-old former Juventus midfielder returned to the club to begin his managerial career as U23 boss, but was promoted the following month to replace Maurizio Sarri.
Despite clinching the Coppa Italia and Supercoppa Italiana, Pirlo and assistant head coach Tudor were given the boot for only finishing fourth in Serie A
Pirlo’s career has been fraught since then, lasting less than a year at Turkish side Fatih Karagumruk followed by a 14-month stint with Sampdoria that ended in August 2024.
Fourth head coach role
He has now been given another managerial opportunity, after being appointed as head coach of Dubai-based United FC on a two-year deal.
The UAE first division side was founded in September 2022, and were promoted as second division runners up in their first season. United FC, also known as Dubai United, compete in the second tier below the UAE Pro League.
United FC president Ilie Cebanu wrote on the club’s website: “We are proud to welcome Andrea to the United FC family. He embodies the values and ambitions of our club, and we believe he will be a key figure in taking us to the next level.”
Pirlo will not suffer like Tudor
Pirlo’s first competitive match with United FC will be against Al-Dhaid on September 20, and he doesn’t have the same financial restrictions as Tudor is experiencing at cash-strapped Juventus.
Tudor faces a tough task in the transfer market, waiting to offload those he has no intention of utilizing for the forthcoming Serie A campaign.
Although he has managed to get the ball rolling with a trio of exciting signings before Parma visit the Allianz Stadium for their Serie A opener on 14 August.