By Giuseppe Marini-CasanuevaSource Football Italiano title ‘He’s a little bit like a ghost’: Loneliness and the forgotten Italian footballer article By Andrea CavanaghSource Football italiano article The man behind the solitary, lonely life of Italian football legend Andrea Pirlo, nicknamed ‘Lion’ for his immense size, has died aged 69.

The Italian legend’s remarkable story was told in an article for the Italian magazine L’Espresso magazine in March, which was published on Friday.

The story was based on interviews with former players, a collection of photographs, letters and diaries and was written by former player Giovanni Mancini.

L’Estoire reported on Saturday that Pirlos mother, Elena, said that the legendary player was the only person she had known in her life.

The magazine said Pirloes family had recently received a phone call, and he was not well.

The journalist who wrote the article, Andrea Cádiz, told the magazine: “It is a tragedy that Pouli has passed away.

The most beautiful Italian footballer I have ever met, a legend in his own right, was my hero, and the only one I had the privilege of knowing in my life.

He was the most generous and kind person I have known.”

Pirlo is the longest-serving member of the Italian Football League, having started his career in 1955, and has been a fixture in the Italian game for more than 30 years.

He won the league twice in succession, winning it for the second time in 1987.

The footballer also captained Italy’s national team twice, scoring two goals in the final of the 1998 FIFA World Cup and two goals against Germany in the quarter-finals in 2001.

He won two Serie A titles, four Serie A Cups, four Champions Leagues and the World Cup twice.