Pirlo: I turned down chance to rejoin Inter

Andrea Pirlo wasn't willing to return to Inter nearly 16 years after leaving the club.

The New York City FC midfielder confirmed in an interview with Sky Sport on Tuesday that the Nerazzurri made an approach to sign him last winter, but he ultimately turned them down.

"Last season I had contact with Inter, but I preferred to stay in the U.S. There was an enquiry but I made this decision and it didn't seem right going back to Italy," said the 37-year-old.

Pirlo famously left Inter to join city rival AC Milan in 2001 - a move that saved a sputtering career. It was under Carlo Ancelotti that the Brescia native established himself as a deep-lying playmaker and serial winner.

As Pirlo looked for a new challenge, he moved on to Juventus in 2011, and won four straight Serie A titles.

The Bianconeri have only solidified their hegemony in Italy since the player's departure in 2015. They are one of the Champions League front-runners, and the clear favourites to win a record sixth consecutive Scudetto.

"Serie A has become like Ligue 1. Juventus is in a league of its own, like PSG," he said. "The Italian league seen from the outside is not that bad, but the transfer market showed that Juventus is above all."