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Andrea Pirlo, a former player for Italy, is attempting to relaunch his coaching career on the bank of the Bosphorus with unpopular Istanbul club Fatih Karagumruk, a year after being fired by Juventus following a disastrous first season in command.

At his introduction in mid-June, Pirlo insisted, "I have an idea of how I want to play football and I expect it will be a successful season." Pirlo was dressed in a sharp blue suit when he met with Turkey"s sports media at a posh Istanbul hotel.

When Pirlo, now 43, was appointed Juventus coach in August 2020, he lacked any prior experience at the highest level of coaching.

Former Italian footballer Andrea Pirlo, who was fired by Juventus after a catastrophic first season in charge, is now trying to restart his coaching career with unpopular Istanbul team Fatih Karagumruk on the Bosphorus bank.

Pirlo insisted, "I have a concept of how I want to play football and I hope it will be a successful season," at his mid-June introduction. Pirlo met with the Turkish sports journalists at a swanky Istanbul hotel while wearing a bright blue suit.

Pirlo, aged 43, had no prior experience at the top level of coaching when he was named Juventus coach in August 2020.

Pirlo"s new club hails from the working-class district of Karagumruk on the European side of the Bosphorus, in a city dominated by the likes of Galatasaray, Fenerbahce, and Besiktas.

In Turkey, the man who assisted Italy win the World Cup in 2006 has been dubbed "Basbakan," or Prime Minister, a reference to the way he manipulated the ball during his playing days.

"It is amazing that he is here. Not every good player goes on to become a good coach. If one of the big three appointed him, that would be the only thing the papers would cover "Tarik Odman, a 60-year-old Karagumruk supporter, tells AFP.

Karagumruk, promoted back to the Turkish top flight in 2020 after a 26-year absence, are a small neighbourhood club that struggles to attract crowds, a world away from the glam of Juventus, where Pirlo starred as a player before becoming a coach.

Karagumruk"s traditional home, with stands on 3 sides and a row of apartment buildings on the other, does not meet Super Lig standards, so the club has been forced to play home matches at the Ataturk Olympic Stadium, 20 kilometres away.

Pirlo"s AC Milan team lost the 2005 Champions League final to Liverpool on penalties after leading 3-0 at the break.

The club"s vice-president, Serkan Hurma, admitted as much on the day Pirlo was unveiled: "The discussions were challenging because we don"t have our own stadium, training ground, or even a bus under our name.

Suleyman Hurma, the president of Karagumruk, actually threatened to resign four days prior to the start of the season if the Turkish government did not grant his club permission to construct a new stadium and training facility that would be suitable for the top level.
He referred to the absence of a suitable training facility as "sad and embarrassing for our club."

Tarik Odman, a supporter whose grandfather formerly served as president of Karagumruk, spoke to AFP while enjoying a cup of tea at the club bar. He said he missed the times when fans could remain just a few metres away from the players on the field.

We would have to block off the streets if the team could play games at home, he remarked.

Sports journalist Alp Ulugay thinks Turkey gives Pirlo, a two-time Winners League winner and six-time Serie A champion, the potential to resurrect his career. It will be a tough ask for Karagumruk to compete against by the big three or champion Trabzonspor at the top of the standings.

"Fatih Karagumruk are a manufactured group. The club president paid for the storefront exhibit, which is currently fully supplied with Andrea Pirlo, "said he.

But beneath it, nothing exists.