The list of Misters that Pirlo worked with during his own career is impressive, from Mircea Lucescu at Brescia to Marcello Lippi and Carlo Ancelotti. “I’ll try to take something from each of them,” he says, adding that he is also inspired by Pep Guardiola, with whom he has been regularly compared since being appointed by Juve. “Guardiola’s shown that young coaches who are keen to promote a certain kind of attacking football are an example to follow. I like his style of play: to always be on the attack and direct the game, to always be able to handle any situation. That’s what our aim should be.”

Like his team, Pirlo the manager is a work in progress. He is growing into the role. Early on, the bearded boss was fairly quiet, like Zinédine Zidane on the Real Madrid touchline. Now he is becoming more vocal. His words are usually encouragement and tactical tips. “Move the ball quickly” or just “quickly” are favourites. He tells players where they need to be and who to press. It’s committed but calm, more of a raised voice than full, earthy shout, and always under control. No wild gestures or tantrums.

He has also had to learn quickly on the job. Being prepared to handle any situation meant dealing with a series of injuries that upset plans from the start. Defensively he has had to do without Matthijs de Ligt, Alex Sandro and Chiellini, while up front Cristiano Ronaldo’s absence after testing positive for Covid-19 has been keenly felt. Arthur, meanwhile, has taken time to settle in the role vacated by Miralem Pjanić.

“THE CHAMPIONS LEAGUE IS THE DREAM OF EVERYBODY WHO PLAYS FOOTBALL”

If Pirlo was adept at pulling strings as a player, as a coach he gives them an almighty tug: he frequently switches playing systems, notably during games. A back four in defence becomes a back three when attacking, and versatile forwards allow him flexibility across the front line. The goal is to maintain a balance, but with an onus on attack with two wingers and a fantasista feeding two forwards. Ronaldo will be key.

“I’m happy to have this icon of world football, to see him every day, to have him at my disposal, to see him train, to see him play. It’s an enormous pleasure for me, and for the whole team, because he’s someone who works the same now, at 35 years old, as he did as a young lad, with the same passion to play football every day. He’s an example for all of us.”

Ronaldo will play a large part in determining how far Juve progress in the Champions League, a competition that Pirlo won twice with AC Milan – and that Juve haven’t conquered since 1995/96. “The Champions League creates such a strong emotion from the moment you hear the music. When you reach the final and win, you understand how great and important it is. Hearing that music takes me back a few years. Our objective is to play attacking football, to control the game, to go to every stadium and impose our game. Whether you play at the Bernabéu or any other stadium, it’s the same. It doesn’t change anything.”

For now Pirlo’s more refined interests will have to take a back seat. That includes wine company Pratum Coller, which the devoted connoisseur runs in his native Brescia region. Old team-mates have spoken in the past of their panic in deciding which wine to bring when visiting Pirlo for dinner. The wrong bottle and it’s a brutta figura, as the Italians say when someone makes a spectacle of themselves.

The Juve boss’s grandfather was a winemaker, and unlike many former sports stars who move into the business as an investment, Pirlo lives and loves the stuff. Intriguingly, he gave hints of his future style of football management while discussing his vineyard in 2013. The World Cup winner explained how he handpicked the right staff and refused to rush the process, in order to follow a clear plan and produce the best possible wine.

So too his taste for luxury watches makes complete sense – and not just because high-quality timepieces click with his elegant yet cool image. As a player, Pirlo’s feet were precision instruments, and he always knew the position and movements of his team-mates on the pitch. Now, in the dugout, he shares with the master watch craftsman an innate desire to understand and combine precious components.

Such attention to detail will be essential to Pirlo as he marks his return to the Champions League, still for him “the dream of everybody who plays football”. As our interview ends it feels apt to offer a “Good luck, Mister,” with a touch of emphasis on that final word. He smiles again… he’s getting used to it.