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Pirlo makes final case to stay at Juventus, says he's helped put them 'on the right path'

Andrea Pirlo has made one last public case to Juventus upper management that he should be retained for next season, claiming he has put the club "on the right path" during his first year in charge.

His men capped a positive week on Sunday by earning a Champions League berth through a 4-1 victory over Bologna and a Napoli draw. They also won the Coppa Italia last Wednesday.

However, Pirlo's defence of his record may be undercut by an early European exit to Porto and lack of a Serie A title charge.

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What has been said?

“I never had fear," Pirlo told DAZN. "It took me a while to create that routine for the training sessions. It took some time to make the lads understand what I wanted, it was not easy to step in with so many champions, but everyone has helped me.

“I’ve improved, it was a complicated season, but it was useful for my development.

“We are on the right path as long as we help each other and run all together for the target. We lacked all these things many times this season.

"In the end, we achieved the result [of Champions League qualification]. If we start again together next season, we’ll have a solid base."

Vital four-match run

When Juventus lost 3-0 to AC Milan on May 9, it appeared virtually impossible for them to make the Champions League. Pirlo was said to have little hope of staying in Turin beyond the campaign.

They won their final three Serie A matches, though, and knocked off Atalanta in the Coppa Italia final.

It's unclear whether that's enough for Pirlo to have saved his job, but it has certainly given him ground to argue from.

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