Italian coaches chief Renzo Ulivieri is happy to see Andrea Pirlo taking charge of Juventus.

Despite his lack of experience, Ulivieri has revealed Pirlo has long been taking his coaching badges in preparation for such a job.

He told Gazzetta dello Sport: "He was an excellent student. He studies and updates in continuation, he never stops.

"His thesis was about his vision of football. A vision that is not only modern but also avant-garde. His goal is to propose a very international football.

"I was struck by how the defense thinks: to go to mark out while always staying online. Concepts difficult to apply but very interesting."