Pirlo: Football has changed and you need fast players now

“Football always changes and it changes quickly,” Andrea Pirlo tells Sky Sports. “It has become much more physical, much faster. In fact, if you want to win now, you need players who are fast and technically good one-on-one. Otherwise, you go nowhere.”

Speaking to the great Italian midfielder his verdict on modern football can feel like a lament. "The teams that win now have fast players. It was not so bad once. You could afford technically skilled players without speed, whereas now you need players at this level."