Professional athletes dont get to the top by accident. It takes superhuman levels of time, dedication, and focusand that includes paying attention to what they put in their bellies. In this series, GQ takes a look at what athletes in different sports eat on a daily basis to perform at their best. Heres a look at the daily diet of the 37-year-old NYCFC midfielder.
Andrea Pirlo has never been the fastest guy to step foot on a soccer field. Nor the strongest. And in the second half of his career at 37, certainly not the youngest. Yet, almost improbably, hes solidified himself as a living legend of the sport, thanks in large part to his genius-level vision on the pitch and an unwavering confidence that has led to moments like this.
Yo, Andrea, what makes you the best player* in the universe? Is it the vicious set pieces? Is it the hair? Is it the copious amounts of pasta and wine? Its gotta be the pasta and wine, right?
*Well, one of the best players over the age of 35, at least.
GQ: Youve been a professional soccer player for more than two decades now and still going strong now in MLS. Has there been any major changes to your diet during that time, or do you actually possess a special anti-aging serum?
Andrea Pirlo: I changed my diet the moment I understood that my metabolism was changing. Until I was 30 years old, my body was used to my routine of eating pasta every single day. Nowadays I eat it just the day of a match.
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Really? Before every single match?
I have my routine. Before every match I eat pasta with tomato and chicken breast a few hours beforehand. In the hottest months, I choose to drink an energy drink before the match, too, but normally I drink just water. I decided to bring my Italian habits here to the U.S.
I was going to ask you if your diet saw any changes after you signed with NYCFC and making the move to Manhattan.
I wasnt forced to do any big adjustment. Its Manhattan, I dont have any problem finding places to eat that are on a high-level quality. Like I said, I decided to maintain my Italian routine in terms of get because the Italian lifestyle has always worked for me.
The last 16 years of your career have been spent predominantly in three of the best cities in the world to eat: Milan, Turin, and New York. Which one has the best food?
Well, I have to say that in those three cities you can eat very well everywhere. But if I have to pick one city, I would say New York. Its bigger than Milan and Turin. There are more choices and possibilities because there are so many different cultures. One night I could get Italian food, then the next night I could get Chinese or an American steak. I love the food scene in New York.
I love the idea of you going to town on a steak. It seems so inauthentically Italian!
I like to barbecue for friends and family in both Italy and New York!
Do you have a favorite place to eat in New York now that youve been here for a couple years?
I have to say that I dont have a favorite restaurant. The city is so big and it offers so many different choices that it would be a mistake to go every time to the same restaurant. I love to find new places and to taste new flavors in the city. There are too many good places to focus just on a couple of them.
You mentioned earlier that youve been able to maintain the same eating habits here in the States that you had in Italy, so what exactly are those habits? Whats a typical day look like for Andrea Pirlo when it comes to your diet?
I stick to a Mediterranean diet with fresh produce and olive oil. On a normal day my diet is divided into the three main meals. I dont eat any other snack between meals during the day. For breakfast I usually eat ham or prosciutto with crackers, orange juice, and a cup of coffee. Sometimes I exchange the ham with an omelet. Then at lunch I normally eat a mixed salad with salmon or chicken. For dinner, finally, I eat meat or fish. I dont have big preferences and I like to keep it simple.
And then you have your pasta, but only before a game.
Sometimes I am tempted to steal from my kids plates when they eat pasta.
In the off-season do you allow yourself to indulge a bit more often in a bowl of pasta?
During the off-season, I eat almost everything without exaggerating.
Youre a noted wine drinker, and my Italian grandmother loves to say that a glass of red wine every night keeps her young. Would you agree with that statement?
If this statement would be true, I would drink it every night! I like drinking wine, and I drink it often, but not every night. When I stay home for dinner I normally just drink water.
There are going to be a lot of very disappointed people when they read this article and find out that wine isnt the source of your longevity. But as a child you did grow up around a vineyard and Nike even released a pair of wine-themed cleats for you. If you could only drink one specific wine for the rest of your life, what would you choose?
Since I am also a wine producer, I would say one of mine. Among them I would choose the Pratum Coller. That is the best one of my personal production.
I dont want to give away the secrets of my Pratum Coller. Maybe youll be curious to try it
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Link:
The Real-Life Diet of Italian Soccer Star Andrea Pirlo - GQ Magazine
