Juventus and Italy great Giorgio Chiellini retires aged 39

Former Italy and Juventus defender Giorgio Chiellini has announced his retirement.

The 39-year-old has called time on his career following the end of the MLS season, where his side Los Angeles FC lost the MLS Cup to Columbus Crew at the weekend.

Chiellini, who won Euro 2020 with Italy, says it is time to "start new chapters" in his life.

"You have been the most beautiful and intense journey of my life," he wrote on social media.

"You have been my everything. With you I have travelled a unique and unforgettable path. But now it is time to start new chapters, face new challenges and write further important and exciting pages of life."

The centre-half made over 700 career appearances after making his debut for Livorno in 2000.

He spent the mainstay of his career at Juventus, winning nine Serie A titles, before heading to LA to see out his career in America.

Juventus said in a statement on their official website: "You were always by our side, like a superhero ready to intervene if necessary. In your case, however, there was no shield, red cloak or bat-mobile: a blow to the head was enough – you took a lot of them – and off you went, all bandaged up.

"Once you wore that, there was no escape for our opponents: it was Kryptonite for any Superman who tried to challenge us, from the "Romeo Neri" of Rimini to the "Santiago Bernabeu" of Madrid.

"Even in the MLS, where you've brought to an end your stellar 23-season career, they had a little taste of what you could still do, at 39 years of age. On the slopes of Hollywood Hill they know how to tell the deeds of heroes from other times, of apparently normal men who later turn out to be extraordinary.

"Should they ask us which is our favourite, we have no doubt: with Giorgio from Livorno by our