Pirlo expects to remain Juventus coach next season
Andrea Pirlo expects to stay on as Juventus coach next season after guiding the club to a top-four finish.
Juve beat Bologna 4-1 on Monday (AEST), a victory that confirmed it will finish fourth in Serie A, a point ahead of Napoli after it could only draw 1-1 at home to Hellas Verona.
A win for Napoli would have left Juve out of the top four regardless of the Bianconeri's result, though Gennaro Gattuso's men were only ahead for a short while.
It was plain sailing throughout for Juve at Bologna, with Federico Chiesa opening the scoring early on to ensure he finished the season as the second youngest player after Marcus Rashford to record at least nine goals and assists across the top five European leagues this term.
Adrien Rabiot and Alvaro Morata, who got a brace, did the rest of the damage, with the Spaniard reaching the 20-goals mark across all competitions for the first time since 2016-17 as he deputised effectively for Cristiano Ronaldo.
It was Juve's 342nd and final game as reigning Serie A champions, a record, and although Pirlo was unable to continue their domination of Italy's top flight, he expects to be in charge again next term.
"I've always put in the maximum commitment, and this is the end result. Those who must decide [about my future] will do so," he said.
"I see myself in the Juve dugout next season. I would confirm it myself, but now we have to just enjoy what we have achieved.
"For me, it was important to finish the job: winning the Coppa Italia and qualifying for the Champions League. It was a very important goal."
There were conflicting rumours about the reasoning behind Ronaldo's absence, which was seen as curious given the importance of the game for Juve.
While some reports suggested Ronaldo made himself unavailable due to fatigue following the Coppa Italia final, others said it was Pirlo's decision, but the coach insisted they had agreed he would start on the bench.
"It was a joint decision," Pirlo said. "Ronaldo was tired after the match on Wednesday, so I opted to start Morata, who is another great player.
"Ronaldo was available. I've got a strong squad and I can pick many different players."
Nevertheless, Ronaldo finished the season as Serie A's most-prolific player with 29 goals, becoming the first player to achieve that feat in Italy's top flight, LaLiga and the Premier League.
