Giorgio Chiellini calls quits on Juventus after "joy of defending" created a legend

Giorgio Chiellini has confirmed he will leave Juventus this summer as he ends his glorious stint at the club to coincide with his retirement from international football with the Italian national team.

Last month, Chiellini announced that he would be retiring from international duty with the Azzurri after their friendly clash against Argentina in June. The 37-year-old’s departure from both teams marks the end of a remarkable era in which the veteran player showed, better than anyone, that “defending is a joy”.

The defender won 20 trophies with the Bianconeri, including nine Serie A titles in a row between 2012 and 2020. He also helped the club reach two Champions League finals and enjoyed an equally iconic international career, winning 116 caps and lifting the European Championships for Italy last summer.

That international victory with the Azzurri may have been the sweetest success of the defender’s career. It came two decades on from making his senior debut for Livorno and just a month shy of his 37 th birthday. Despite his advancing years, Chiellini was arguably the most iconic player of the tournament – combining his immense performances with an infectious personality, both serious and light-hearted.

There was the image of Chiellini’s satisfaction when singing the Italian national anthem. The image of the Italy captain joking with his Spanish and English counterparts ahead of their crucial penalty shootouts. The image of him cynically fouling Bukayo Saka in the final.

Chiellini gave an interview, highlighted in The Athletic, explaining how he had changed his game in his advancing years: “I’m not as explosive or as quick as in the past, but I am smarter. Playing one-against-one doesn’t matter to me, I’ve learned