How a Midfielder with No Pace or Stamina Destroyed Everyone without Trying

there are a few things you associate with different kind of footballers Pace with theer HRI and Bale power with Holland and Van djk and train Rex with Mama dako but when it comes to the one and only Italian Maestro the definitive regista and the man who with no Pace stamina or strength managed to dominate Italian and World football only one word comes to mind class because that is what Andrea perlo's career was all about pure class PLO was born about 5 km outside of Russia in the lovely time of Flo he had two loving parents

and was pretty well off I mean every footballer can't have a raack to Rich a story can they from a young age it was clear what kind of player pearo wanted to be he wasn't interested in scoring goals or pulling up fancy tricks on the wings and running out defenders in fact the guy was a total introvert his goal was much a reflection of his personality and his upbringing he wanted to sit in Midfield out of the spotlight and play Precision passes to his teammates helping them steal the spotlight his personality was calm and composed

and in translated to his play on the field even as a young boy his maturity was enough to inspire kids well above his age he was the captain of a team of 15-year-old boys when he was just 13 and he faced the same thing as a kid that most people who are great at anything go through people being jealous of him it got to a point where when his dad came to watch his games he would sit high in The Stance far away from the jealous parents of other kids who would say the most disgusting

things about Perlo it's not like Perlo didn't feel this hatred but even more so he understood it he knew he was better than everyone else he was playing with and against and the confidence that came from that paired with his silent personality really rubbed the people the wrong way basically they thought he was an still that hate didn't stop pearo from being the Beast that he was on the field and his hard work and talents eventually paid off when he signed for the Youth sector of brasia in 1992 at the age of 13 and it

wouldn't be long before he got his chance in the first team at the ripe old age of 16 21st May 1995 is the date that marked his debut for the brasia first team against regana unfortunately for PLO not everyone is Conquering Europe at 16 like linum all and he didn't really carve out a spot for himself in the first team despite repeated success with the youth team this is where one of the most distinct features of Perlo as a player came to light he wasn't an impressive athlete like at all this was true even in

his prime so it was even more of an issue for him when he was a Youngster you can say that physicality is overrated and that skill is the real measurement of ability and you'd be right but there's a certain amount of physicality you absolutely need and PLO was lacking that but talent and ability is the most important thing and talent like PLO shines through and he broke into the first team in the 1996 1997 season by this time BR were struggling in the CVB but when you have someone like PLO in your squad it's hard

not to be good at this point PL used to play as an attacking midfielder and he was pretty damn good at his job and he showed just how good he was as he elevated the level of brasa's play multiple times across the season with his silky smooth passing and his Superior understanding of the game the season was overall a bit of a mixed bag there were rough patches here and there but they had incredible spells of form too their best spell of form came from the middle of February to March where they went undefeated in

eight straight games and won seven of those eight scoring 16 times and conceding just twice they did have a rough period towards the end of the season where they didn't win for a month running three and losing three ultimately their good form at the start of the season and the brilliant run of wins in the middle was enough for br to Edge out EMP to win the Seri B and snatch promotion back into the Sera for polo the season was a mixed bag he some great performances but he didn't have the stats to back them

up and even though he was playing it wasn't in every game he made 17 appearances scoring just two goals oh and he didn't record a single assist which is pretty shocking all in all though the season was a success and he was back on his way to Sia after playing a crucial role in helping Russia gain back promotion to Syria it was only natural that big clubs were going to come calling for The Talented youngster at the center of it all football has changed a lot since 1997 but one thing is the same if big

clubs see talented youngsters they go and get without giving it a second thought but we'll get to that in a bit for now after getting back to Seri B Prussia expected to stay up and slowly build towards being a better club for the future unfortunately things areen that easy in the real world and they found themselves relegated right back to CVB up and down just like a yo-yo but there were positives for brasia and the main one was the development and maturation of Perlo last season was just a trailer this was the whole movie Not

only did Plo cement himself as a main stay of the team playing 29 games in serria he also became their main M scoring four times in assisting his teammates on five separate occasions those don't sound like mindboggling numbers but for a relegated side that struggled All Season that's a superstar season right there and it wasn't just the numbers Polo's quality was becoming clear to everyone who saw him play silky smooth passing and incredible understanding of the game in all three phases and the confidence on the ball of a season veteran this kid had it all

and he could pop up with the occasional goal too this jump in performance didn't go unnoticed and following their relegation Inter Milan seized up opportunity to sign the young Maestro from Bia for just €2 million this was it the big move that had been coming Polo's way ever since he was a child prodigy the big interm Milan had come calling and it was his time to go from a promising talent to a living legend is probably what peo thought unfortunately Perlo struggled to find his place at inter I mean this was an Inter Milan Squad

with the likes of Ronaldo Nazario Zanetti Diego Simone tyo West Ivan zamorano and even Roberto bgio it'd be hard for an established player to get de side let alone an 18-year-old that's had just one good season what's more he was simply not in the right hands for God's sake Inter Milan was being managed by Roy Hodson at the time under Roy Hodson PLO was not only overlooked he was even ridiculed with the Englishman mispronouncing his name and calling him peara which in the Milan dialect of Italian roughly translates to so yeah Not only was this

super talented Pastor on the ball just not getting the playing time or development he deserved he was being called a prick at the same time talk about a rough break after failing to break into the first team in the 1998 1999 season he was loaned out to Regina where he had a decent season scoring six times and providing three assists in 28 games still that wasn't enough for polo to break into the inter first team and he got loaned out again this time back to Prussia he played just 10 games in sria during the loan

back to his former Club but this spell was important for an entirely different reason because it was during his return to Russia that pl's potential as a deep flying playmaker began to emerge you see until this point Perlo had been playing as an attacking midfielder and even a second striker in some instances but the reality was that he didn't have the frame speed or skill set to excel at that position he was good sure but he was never going to be great at that role he was destined for something else and the credit for recognizing

that goes to one man Carlo mazone playing under coach Carlo mazone during the loan back to brasia instead of playing behind or next to the striker PLO was deed in front of the defense this was a revelation for PLO and not only you put him in a position that was more suited to his physical profile but also to his technical profile being put in front of the defense meant that he could collect the ball directly from the Defenders following an opposition attack and then he could utilize his exceptional vision and passing ability to start attacks

and set up his teammates not only did this make sense it was inevitable this was the same kid who said he wanted to set up his teammates instead of scoring the ball himself yet every coach he had managed to Mis profile him as an attacking midfielder but mazic got her right and the results were there for the world to see not in terms of direct numbers but the way the entire team changed his play style Bia won on an 11 game unbeaten streak to end the season but despite his undeniable Talent it just wasn't happening

for peo at inter he knew it and so did the club so inter did what was in retrospect the unthinkable and decided to sell PLO to their rivals in the same stadium 30th June 2001 Andrea peo joins AC Milan for a reported fee of1 17 million the move will haunt interm Milan fans for the rest of the days joining AC Milan was the turning point in Andrea Polo's career because instead of being played out of position and being called a for not doing well Carlo angelotti actually paid attention to the kind of player Perlo was

specifically he paid attention to his recent lone spell at brasia and decided he was the perfect deep L playmaker he needed to turn his AC Milan team from a good Italian team into European juggernauts this positional shift allowed PLO to dictate the tempo of the game using his passing rage Brant ball control and sneaky ball carrying ability he was able to not only orchestrate play from deep but also control the tempo of games slowing down or speeding up the game based on what his team needed it was clear that it was the latter half of

his first phase and the second phase of the field where pero thrived and was able to show his technical Brilliance seriously this guy could play a pass from Milan to Bro a city right next to Milan and it' still be perfect his first season was good he got accustomed to the Don Carlos system and got comfortable playing in the regista role two goals in and three assist and 18 appearances wasn't moving any mountains but it was enough to get called up to the Italian squad for his International debut what no one knew at the time

was that PLO was just getting started this was the Calum before the Italian storm by his second season PLO was averaging an insane 90 passes per game this man was controlling games all by himself and the whole team was adjusting itself around his playing style this also shown through in his most impressive statistical season so far the man with no Pace or stamina managed to score nine and assist seven goals in 27 games in Syria alone we don't have exact stats from the era but that's at least 0.6 goals plus assists per 90 from a

defensive midfielder Don Carlo had successfully found the diamond in the rough and unlocked his full potential and he was the final piece AC Milan needed despite Pearl's best goal scoring season in 2002 to 2003 AC Milan weren't quite consistent enough to push for scudetto finishing in third place 11 points behind Champions Juventus but but it was AC Milan and PLO who would have the last laugh first they beat out fellow Italian Giants Roma in the Copa Italia final securing the first Sil rare of the season but that was just the appetizer the main course came

in the form of their Champions League campaign they dominated Group C which was the group of debt that year Real Madrid Bia dormund and locomotive Moscow were all part of it and they came out on top as the competition intensified Balan battled in the box office quarterfinal against Ajax progressing on away away goals after a thrilling ser3 draw that was good good but what came next was even better a semi-final against none other than Inter Milan it was the kind of script that would be too unrealistic for a movie and yet here peo was living

it and his Wildest Dreams came true when Milan beat them on the away goals as well after it ended 1-1 on aggregate across two legs not only had peo proven he was a great player but he had bested his former Club on the biggest stage possible following that the grand finale at Old traford St Milan clash with Juventus the team that were crowned champions of Italy that season it was a nerd racking en counter and neither team could score even after extra time in the penalty shootout Milan held their nerve to secure a historic Victory

perlo's orchestration from Midfield was pivotal throughout the campaign as he dictated the play with his unparalleled vision and composure cementing his status as the engine for AC Milan's team and as a superstar and these two trophies were no fluke as the very next season Perlo and AC Milan showed the week- toe consistency everyone knew they could have and W the cadetto cementing this AC Milan Squad as one the most decorated in Italian football history and this man who barely looked like an athlete who had more impressive hair than biceps was the engine that made the

entire team work it got to the point where Italy was too small a stage for polo this Maestro needed to show the world how good he was and he'd get his chance to do that soon Perlo was a perfectionist everything he touched turned to gold and his International career with Italy was just as brilliant as his Club career after his debut in 2002 he captained his Nation to a bronze medal finish in the Olympics and by the time the World Cup rolled around he was a main stay in the Italian Juggernaut he played a huge

part of Italy's 2006 World Cup victory scoring their opening goal and providing key assists throughout the tournament his performances in the semi-final against Germany and the final against France earn him the man of the match Awards in both games the formula was simple Pear's incredible passing range and ability to control the ball was surrounded by the best collection of players in Italian History the result was also simple the best team in World football and one man with the athleticism of a door handle running it following the World Cup win PLO wasn't done with trophies far

from it in fact the6 2007 Champions League campaign was another Testament to Andrea perlo's Brilliance as AC Milan conquered Europe again Milan Breeze through Group H kicking the asses of Leo akek Athens and anderi knockout stages s Milan's resilience and tactical prowess shine starting with a scrappy hardfought 1 nil aggregate victory over Celtic in the round of 16 the quarterfinals ped them against the always dangerous Bayern Munich where Milan blew them out the water being them 4-2 on aggregate perlo's play and passing range were instrumental in this tie and Milan simply outclassed Byron the semi-final

against Manchester United was football Heritage and is regarded as one of the greatest ties in UCL history and of course Milan came out on top beating them 5-3 on aggregate the final in Athens was a chance for revenge against Liverpool who beat them in a miraculous UCL final comeback in 2005 this time time Milan were prepared and seized the 2-1 Victory throughout their run pl's influence was undeniable his Exquisite passing and strategic mind were the heartbeat of Milan's play guiding them to yet another European title Kaka stole all the headlines but PLO was the Cog

that made this machine tick but even titles don't guarantee happiness during his time at Milan peo won two Syria titles and reached the Champions League final three times winning it twice his performances earned him nominations for the ball on door and he cified his reput as one of the best midfielders in the world it looked certain that he was going to end his career at AC Milan as a club Legend however there was still one more twist in the story because in 2011 PE was 32 and Milan's contract policy was simple they offered only one

year extensions to players over 30 PLO obviously felt that a Serial winner a one of one profile and a club Legend like him should at least be made an exception for but Milan weren't budging having just won the league they didn't feel like they could be stronger armed in to a contract by a player whose best days were past him feeling disrespected he decided to go somewhere that would value him and that place happened to be Milan's bitter Rivals inin Juventus Perlo moved to AC Milan's Rivals Juventus because he believed he was being undervalued at

the club when he had much more to offer and my God the old Meister have something to offer in his first season he scored just three goals and 37 appearances but it was the assist numbers that went Bonkers because he L all of SIA in assist with 15 helping Juventus win the league title and guess who was in second place that's right AC Milan finished a miserable Four Points behind perlo's juuv proving that the old man could not only contribute but his presence could be the deciding factor in the title race and Perlo carried that

fine form into his International Duty in Euro 2012 perlo's performances were nothing short of legendary he provided a crucial assist in Italy's Opening match against Spain and scored the picture perfect free kick against Croatia in the quarterfinal against England Pearl's iconic pan penalty in the shootout was the Perfect combo of skill and composure the aura of the moment is unmatched Italy reached the final where they lost to the best international team of all time but Pearl's performances earned him three man of- the match Awards across the tournament a nomination for a player of the tournament

and the spot in the team of the tournament even among the best in Europe and across the world PLO stood out not because of how fast he could run or how high he could jump but based on how damn good he was at football and he didn't stop there back back at juuv Perlo couldn't stop winning perlo's impact at Juventus was massive his performances were the Cornerstone of juve's domestic dominance winning three more titles on the Trot making it four consecutive seral titles and reaching the Champions League finally in 2015 what's more it wasn't like

he was doing the same thing at juuv that he did at Milan a different team means a different role instead of collecting the ball from the defense and engaging in the buildup of the second phase of Midfield as he used to in Milan juuv asked to do something different progress the ball into the final third aka the third phase of Midfield all by himself is probably the hardest thing to do as a midfielder but with the sniper likee passing Precision he had and with the likes of aruro Vidal and claudo marchisio to make up for

his lack of athleticism Polo at the age of 32 was given a free role to paint his Masterpiece on the pitch and he turned in a performance that would put Picasso to shame perlo's career is the best example of the power of intelligence and Technical skill in football despite lacking the physical attributes of other top midfielders such as pace and strength pe's Vision tactical intelligence and perfect passing allowed him to excel at the highest level his ability to read the game position himself effectively and deliver precise passes made him a unicorn and every team that

catered to his strength succeeded perlo's deep line playmaker role as the regista redefined the position and inspired a generation of midfielders like Jai Alonzo and Sergio buskett his influence extended beyond the pitch with his calm demeanor professionalism and humility making him a respected figure in the football World when the discussion of classy footballer comes up PLO is always one of the first names mentioned a man who played the game at his own pace and made everyone follow suit such a legacy however doesn't come without sacrifices Perlo had a terrible stint at Inter Milan the club

he supported as a kid while he doesn't necessarily hate them inner fans resent him because of all the success he had after moving on from them still that's the kind of hate you can understand football can't live without stories like that what's actually sad is departure from AC Milan when he was at Milan there were a bunch of transfer rumors linking him to the likes of Chelsea Madrid and Barcelona but it seemed like Milan never let any of them go through this pissed PLO off but he never let it show on the pitch then when

he left the club in 2011 all the poor man did by going to Juventus was B on himself and he was proven right his still had plenty left in the tank unfortunately the four scos he won there came at a cost his relationship with AC Milan as he said himself he no longer has relationship with the club or the city and even his family is settled in Terin still as a man who managed to win two Champions Leagues countless seral titles and a World Cup I'm sure it doesn't bother him too much and that's the

story of how a man with no Pace or stamina changed football forever