Pirlo excited by New York challenge

New York City midfielder Andrea Pirlo sees similarities between his current club and former employers Juventus.

Pirlo made the move to feature alongside the likes of David Villa and Frank Lampard earlier this month for the club’s debut MLS season.

The 36-year-old is yet to play for his new side, having featured twice for Italy since Juve’s UEFA Champions League final defeat to Barcelona in June.

Pirlo’s arrival in Turin four years ago helped spark a run of four consecutive Serie A titles, with the playmaker eager to build a similar legacy in New York.

Asked about his ambitions behind the move, Pirlo told La Gazzetta dello Sport: “With that of being part of a major project.

“It is a great challenge to me and I like challenges. Here we start from scratch – this team six months ago did not exist. A bit like when I arrived at Juve.

“In a sense, we started from scratch there too. I had four fantastic seasons and we found a winning team that brought terrific results.”

Pirlo’s long-time midfield companion Arturo Vidal is also set to leave Juve for Bayern Munich while Paul Pogba’s future remains the subject of speculation.

Following their European disappointment in Berlin, Pirlo added: “I thought about [leaving] for a while – for months.

“Sure, losing made me think more… but after winning four championships this was the best time to go.”