Pirlo appointed coach of Turkish side Fatih Karagümrük

ISTANBUL (AP) - Former Juventus coach and player Andrea Pirlo has been named as the new coach of Turkish top-flight team Fatih Karagümrük.

The 43-year-old Pirlo signed a one-year contract with the Istanbul-based club on Monday.

The state-run Anadolu Agency quoted club deputy president Serkan Hurma as saying the contract could be extended if the 'œsides trust each other and enjoy working together.'ť

'œPirlo already was a globally recognized brand name. We are happy to be working with such a coach,'ť Anadolu quoted Hurma as saying during the signing ceremony in Istanbul.

Pirlo said: 'œI was interested by the team's goals. I had similar aspirations and that's where they converged. I hope it is a successful season."

Pirlo was fired as Juventus coach last year after just one season in charge. It was his first managerial appointment and he steered Juventus to the Italian Cup and the Italian Super Cup but the team's fourth-place finish ended a run of nine straight Serie A titles.

Pirlo was replaced by Massimiliano Allegri, who returned to the storied Italian club two years after he himself was fired by Juventus.

Nicknamed 'œthe maestro'ť for his passing skills, Pirlo as a player helped Italy win the 2006 World Cup and also won Serie A six times - twice with AC Milan and four times with Juventus. He also won the Champions League twice with Milan.

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