Andrea Pirlo has insisted that he will not step down as Juventus manager after their latest setback following a 3-0 drubbing from rivals AC Milan in Serie A.
The former Juve midfielder watched on from the sidelines as his team were swept aside by Milan and knocked down to fifth place in the table.
This latest defeat came just one week after the Old Lady officially relinquished the Serie A title to Inter Milan after nine successive seasons of lifting the trophy.
Juventus are now in danger of missing out on Champions League football next season, but Pirlo has explained that he isn’t going anywhere despite the poor results.
Pirlo told Sky Sports: ‘Resign? No, I won’t step aside. I took this role with a great deal of enthusiasm amid certain difficulties.
‘I am at the disposal of the club, there are still three games to go, so I will continue doing my work as long as I am allowed to.
‘I had a different project in my mind and thought I would have a different group at my disposal. I had been working on some concepts, but then I had to make changes in order to suit their characteristics and had to adapt.
‘It’s not that this team is resistant to change, but if you have some things in your mind and they become more difficult with certain players. If I cannot get the best out of these players, that is my fault and I certainly need to do better.
‘If something didn’t go right, I take responsibility. This squad is made up of great players, clearly something did not work.’
With just three matches remaining, Juventus will feel they have to claim maximum points and hope that either Atalanta, AC Milan or Napoli, who are all ahead of them, drop points.
They finish the league campaign against Sassuolo, Inter and Bologna and face Atalanta in the Coppa Italia final.
Following the financial impact of the coronavirus pandemic, missing out on Europe’s biggest football competition next season could have a detrimental effect on the club and their squad.
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