Pirlo attacks Origi: “Was terrible”

Italian legend Andrea Pirlo has been critical of Liverpool striker Divock Origi’s performance in the Champions League final.

“Divock Origi was terrible,” said Pirlo at Sky Sport Italia. And that was despite the fact that the Belgian had sealed the Reds’ top-class triumph in the 87th minute with his 2-0 final goal against Tottenham. The former Juventus Turin midfielder said, “With such an attitude, playing such an important game – if he hadn’t hit, they should have beaten him.” A saying that is not uncommon in Italy and that is why the statement can certainly be put into perspective.

Origi had been substituted in the 58th minute. In the semi-finals, the former Wolfsburg player had secured his team’s place in the final. Origi scored two goals in a 4-0 home draw against FC Barcelona.

He himself was satisfied after the 2-0 over Tottenham Hotspur. “It’s very emotional. It’s something you’ve worked so hard for,” Origi explained in an interview with Viasport. He added: “Whenever I play, I try to make an impression and believe in myself. Today I’m happy that I was able to help the team win this game again.”

Origi moved from Lille to Liverpool in 2014 for 12.6 million euros. His contract with the newly crowned Champions League winner runs until 2020.