Chelsea: Andrea Pirlo won't rule out Antonio Conte reunion

Erik ten Hag tears into FIVE of his 'unprofessional' Man United players for their failure to learn a lesson, which led to Michael Olise's opener in their 4-0 demolition at Crystal Palace
Manchester United will NOT sack Erik ten Hag before the FA Cup final despite calls for him to face the axe immediately - but players 'already believe his fate is sealed'
Ashley Young reveals why he was 'disappointed' with Jose Mourinho at Man United and admits that some players didn't 'give as much as they could'
A workaholic with a trick to stop injuries, inspired by Pep Guardiola... but colleagues used to call him 'slow'! What Liverpool's new boss Arne Slot is REALLY like: LEWIS STEELE reports from Rotterdam
Harry Kane, Kylian Mbappe and Jude Bellingham - who have scored a combined 107 goals this season - are 14/1 to each have 2+ shots on target in this week's Champions League action
Man United have made a decision on what to do with Mason Greenwood, claims the president of his loan club Getafe, as he reveals Barcelona have asked about outcast striker
How British darts star Deta Hedman 'refuses to be a nodding dog' and is fighting against trans players in her sport with her husband - all while keeping her full-time job as a postie
Hull SACK Liam Rosenior - despite him finishing third for Manager of the Season award - with Tigers axing boss having narrowly missed out on Championship playoffs
Erik ten Hag is losing his grip on the Man United job as this team disintegrates around him, writes MATT BARLOW after shambolic 4-0 defeat at Crystal Palace
Jamie Carragher tells 'absolutely awful' Antony to 'SHUT UP' as he fumes at Man United winger for whispering to his team-mates after the Red Devils' 4-0 Crystal Palace defeat
Jamie Carragher teases Gary Neville after Man United's defeat by Crystal Palace - as ex-Red Devils' defender's old comments comparing Erik ten Hag's midfield to Liverpool's re-surface... and have NOT aged well!
Man United must sack Erik ten Hag and put 'best coach ever' Steve McClaren in caretaker charge, Paul Scholes and Michael Owen suggest, as they claim Dutchman has frozen his No 2 out
Gabby Agbonlahor goads Gary Neville and Rio Ferdinand over Man United's failures - as former centre back's past comments come back to haunt him
Erik ten Hag can't ignore his dossier of disasters after Man United's humiliation at Crystal Palace, where his team were run ragged, writes CHRIS WHEELER... Casemiro and Eriksen should be first out the door
Rio Ferdinand tells Sir Jim Ratcliffe five ways to improve Man United's awful injury record - with the current crisis denying them of 10 first-team players in their 4-0 defeat by Crystal Palace
'Ever suffered from menopause? I doubt it': Female darts star who FORFEITED because she refused to face a transgender player in women's tournament explains why it's unfair for her to play against biological men
Nottingham Forest LOSE appeal against four-point deduction for breaching Premier League spending rules... leaving them just three points above relegation zone
Two-time Olympic champion Eliud Kipchoge reveals he and his family received DEATH THREATS in the wake of the tragic crash which killed marathon star Kelvin Kiptum - after Kenyan runner was falsely linked his rival's murder
Manager, leader, street cleaner! Ipswich Town's promotion-winning boss Kieran McKenna turns up to help with council's victory parade clear-up
Premier League reach an out of court settlement with an ex-consultant just HOURS before it starts - with tribunal over racism, victimisation and harassment claims
Joey Barton launches blistering attack on Gary Neville, bizarrely calling him 'a little shop steward' and claiming he 'knows NOTHING' about football - months after grim threat to 'empty him'
Thiago Silva will LEAVE Chelsea at the end of the season after four years at Stamford Bridge... as the 39-year-old re-joins Brazilian side Fluminense after the Blues agreed to let him depart early after their final game
Inside the Haaland-Keane feud that still lingers on, 20 years later: Man City star Erling's dad is 'really p***ed off' with United legend Roy's jibes at his son, reveals Ian Ladyman on It's All Kicking Off
Carlo Ancelotti insists 'fantastic guy' Jude Bellingham 'respects' Harry Kane despite trying to throw his England team-mate off before taking penalty for Bayern Munich... and claims there is 'NO problem' between the pair

Andrea Pirlo will hang up his boots at the end of New York City's MLS campaign
The 38-year-old has been linked with a reunion with former boss Antonio Conte
Pirlo says he has 'ideas' on his next career move but is yet to make a decision

Published: 04:45 EDT, 9 October 2017 | Updated: 06:03 EDT, 9 October 2017

e-mail

Andrea Pirlo has refused to rule out a possible reunion with Chelsea manager Antonio Conte but says he is yet to decide on his next move after announcing his retirement.

The 38-year-old will hang up his boots at the end of the current Major League Soccer campaign, bringing an end to a two-year spell with New York City as well as a long and successful playing career.

With his tactical intelligence renowned throughout the football world, Pirlo is likely to be in high demand for both coaching and managerial positions and his former boss Conte may consider welcoming to his backroom team at Stamford Bridge.

Andrea Pirlo and Antonio Conte could be set for a reunion at Chelsea in the near future

But while he was coy on a link-up with the Premier League champions, the Italian midfielder admitted that his immediate future will involve a return to his homeland before a long-term decision is made.

'My future, I don't know yet. I will return to Italy in December,' he told Gazetta dello Sport.

'An assistant to Conte? People are saying that. I have my ideas but I need time to decide.'

Pirlo is set to end a glorious career at the end of New York City's current MLS campaign

Pirlo won the World Cup with Italy in 2006 to add international success to his honours list

PIRLO'S HONOURS

Milan 2001-11: Serie A x 2, Italian Cup, Italian Super Cup, Champions League x 2, UEFA Super Cup x 2, Club World Cup

Juventus 2011-15: Serie A x 4, Italian Cup, Italian Super Cup

Italy 2002-15 (116 caps, 13 goals: World Cup

Pirlo experienced some of the best years of his career in Turin, with Conte the man behind his reinvention as a deep-lying playmaker which saw him become the hipsters' icon across Europe.

They won three Serie A titles in three seasons together before Conte left to become Italy manager while Pirlo stayed one more season to collect another Scudetto, the sixth and last of his career.

He will also finish his playing days with two Champions League titles to his name, won with AC Milan, and a World Cup triumph, which was sealed with Italy at the 2006 tournament in Germany.