After 23 years as a professional player, Giorgio Chiellini has had enough: the 2021 European champion is hanging up his boots. He was denied the final crown
Giorgio Chiellini is ending “the most beautiful and intense journey” of his life, as the 39-year-old Italian announced on social media on Tuesday afternoon: his 23-year career as a professional footballer. “You were my everything,” the tough defender wrote to soccer: “I have walked a unique and unforgettable path with you.”
This path began early on. At the age of 16, Chiellini, who was initially retrained from midfielder to left-back, made his first appearances in Serie C for his youth club US Livorno. Roma signed him in 2002, but immediately loaned him back to Livorno. The big move followed in 2004 to Italian record champions Juventus Turin, one of the best teams in Europe at the time.
Chiellini was not allowed to try his hand at the Bianconeri either, but matured into a Serie A player on loan at Fiorentina in 2004/05. Juve coach Fabio Capello then placed his trust in him – and Chiellini trusted the Old Lady when they were relegated in 2006 in the wake of the match-fixing scandal. On his way back to the top, the left-footer became a central defender and one of the best in the country
Career crowning glory 2021
After Juve’s resurgence in 2007, Chiellini was an integral part of the Juve starting eleven and also became a key player in the national team, continuing the legacy of great Italian defenders such as Franco Baresi, Paolo Maldini, Alessandro Nesta and Fabio Cannavaro. The 117-time international (eight goals) was not yet part of the 2006 World Cup squad, and the crowning glory of his career only came with the European Championship title as captain in 2021.
The big crown at the club never came – with Juve, Chiellini lost the Champions League finals in 2015 against FC Barcelona and 2017 against Real Madrid – and the warhorse consoled himself with nine championships in a row. Chiellini was unable to defend the US championship with Los Angeles FC, which he celebrated immediately after leaving Turin in 2022, in the last game of his career: LAFC lost 2-1 to Columbus Crew.
