Pirlo says he is done with Italy

Rome, June 26: Veteran playmaker Andrea Pirlo on Sunday assured that the Italian football team does not need him and said he has done his job he needed to do for the tiol team.

The 2006 World Cup winner was not picked by Italy chief coach Antonio Conte even though the likes of Riccardo Montolivo, Claudio Marchisio and Marco Verratti were ruled out by injury.

The Milan and Juventus legend last year decided to join Major League Soccer (MLS) outfit New York City FC.

The United States league is not considered to be competitive enough to get him a place in the tiol set-up.

“The moment I decided to go to New York, automatically it was clear with Antonio Conte: ‘If you need me, then I’m here, but if you call someone else then I understand’,” Pirlo was quoted as saying by La Gazzetta dello Sport on Sunday.

“Not seeing me as often as the others, Conte couldn’t know my condition as well as them. So he called others. Italy don’t miss me. I think I did what I had to with the Italy shirt.”

The 37-year-old also said he is sure Italy would do better without him at the competition. One of the best midfielders of the game and known for his vision and long passing, Pirlo has represented Italy in 116 games. IANS