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Andrea Pirlo has revealed how Antonio Conte convinced him to shelve his retirement plans and continue playing for Italy after the World Cup. Were it not for Conte's appointment as successor to Cesare Prandelli, the Juventus midfielder admits he is unlikely to have been preparing to line up in an Azzurri shirt for the 113th time against Azerbaijan in Palermo on Friday night. "The only person I could have changed my mind for was Conte," Pirlo, 35, said at a news conference. "There's a big project in place for the next two years and with a coach like him, we're going to have some fun and there's the possibility of being able to win something big." Pirlo was called into the latest Italy squad as a replacement for the injured Giacomo Bonaventura, having made his first appearance of the season in last Sunday's 3-2 win over Roma at the Juventus Stadium. A hip injury had kept him out of action since preseason, but Conte was always planning on bringing him back in as soon as he proved his fitness. "He was an important player for me at club level and he's going to be equally important for the national team," Conte said. "There were alternatives, but he's fit so he's going to play." In doing so, Pirlo will beat Dino Zoff's number of caps for Italy. "To overtake an icon like Zoff is an amazing feeling," admitted Pirlo. "I made my Italy debut 12 years ago against Azerbaijan and to overtake a legend like Zoff really is hugely satisfying. "As a small child, I dreamt of playing for the national team, of winning the World Cup, and I was lucky enough to do all that, but I still have some other dreams in the drawer and I want to keep on winning." A win is expected in Palermo on Friday night, although Conte has warned against taking it for granted. "There's no such thing as an easy game," he said. "Football has evolved everywhere, tactically and physically, and there are no longer any weak nations. "We know we're up against a side who, like Bulgaria, are one of the candidates to qualify. The lads know this and we've got to be focused from the first to the 90th minute."
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