"What rotten luck," Andrea Pirlo sighed.
A few days after playing the final game of his career, "il Maestro" was on the sofa with friends, glass of wine in hand, watching his country play Sweden in the World Cup play-off from the comfort of his New York loft. Matteo Darmian had just hit the post as Italy searched for an equaliser against Sweden. It was in vain.
Aside from another chance that the Manchester United full-back set up for Andrea Belotti in the opening minutes, a free header he'd usually bury at the club level, the Azzurri created little of note and lost 1-0.