Alvaro Morata thinks Juventus miss Andrea Pirlo

Alvaro Morata credits Fernando Llorente for his successful first season in Turin

According to Eurosport, Juventus striker Alvaro Morata has said in an interview with a Spanish radio sports program El Larguero that the defending champions are missing the likes of Andrea Pirlo and Fernando Llorente, who were very instrumental for the Turin-based club last season.

Pirlo and Llorente were joined by the likes of Carlos Tevez and Arturo Vidal, who themselves left the club last season for greener pastures. The Italian maestro left Juventus for New York City FC, where he joined some other football legends in Frank Lampard and David Villa. On the other hand, Llorente went back to Spain as he joined the Europa League champions, Sevilla.

Morata also shed light on his personal relationship with the Sevilla forward and also praised Pirlo’s capability to take advantage of the dead-ball situations.

“It’s a more complicated season with Juventus, especially because of injuries and because I’m not playing in my ideal role,” he said.

“The team is missing Pirlo and Llorente – Fernando more from the personal level, without him last year I wouldn’t have done so well. I sent him my compliments for his goal against Real Madrid, I was happy for him but less so for Real.

“Pirlo is one of those players who guarantees you 10 or 15 points more a season from dead-ball situations.”

The ex-Real Madrid forward was asked if it is possible that someday he will return to the Santiago Bernabeu. Though, the 23-year old gave no concrete answer to the question.

“Madrid buying me back? That topic has become calmer lately give that I haven’t been scoring… Do I dream of Real Madrid? I dream of winning titles,” he added.

Morata made his debut for the Spanish national team last year in November against Belarus, and earlier this year in March he scored his first goal for the senior side.

“The national team was a dream for me when I was a child, I could never have thought I would end up here.”

When asked as to what has helped him achieve everything till date, he replied, “The recipe to success? Hard work and humility, these two things have allowed me to achieve everything I have.”

Juventus has had an indifferent start to this term, they currently lie in seventh position and are nine points behind the top placed Fiorentina, but not long ago they were languishing in the bottom half of the table. However, with only 12 matches into the season, the Old Lady cannot be written off completely.