If there’s one thing Italy legend Andrea Pirlo has learned in over two decades of football it’s how to make a negative into a positive. The NYC FC midfielder, snubbed by Italy manager Antonio Conte for Euro 2016 to the surprise of many, has been making good use of his time with Major League Soccer taking a break for the Copa America and European championship. Just recently, he was spotted taking classes to improve his English.
Per MLSSoccer.com, Pirlo was spotted in a New York classroom taking English, with the Italian midfielder later posting a photo of himself hard at work with a Kaplan International teacher.
QUÉ FOTO!!! Andrea Pirlo tomando clases de inglés en Nueva York. pic.twitter.com/NE8Bp8iiNN
— Juez Central (@Juezcentral) June 10, 2016
English lesson with my teacher!! ? #improve #pirlostyle @kaplanintl pic.twitter.com/NOKgSqOn7R
— Andrea Pirlo (@Pirlo_official) June 9, 2016
The 37-year-old Pirlo has never learned English and can barely understand it either, but since moving to the United States and playing a staring role for the upstart MLS side, it has probably become harder and harder for him to go without knowing it – not to mention the missed endorsement opportunities in the advertising capital of the world.
Fellow NYC FC teammate and Spanish football legend David Villa also took English lessons through Kaplan since making his move to Yankee Stadium last year and has demonstrated remarkable improvement after going the bulk of 2015 needing a translator for the most benign conversations.
Follow Jonathan Machlin on Twitter @jtmlovessports
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