The former defender between past and future. “After the play -off against Sweden I didn't sleep for nights. The strongest attacker? Ibra. Bastoni is extremely strong. And let's give Calafiori and BuongiNo for a while …”
Giorgio Chiellini has chosen to tell his story in an interview with Vivo Azzurro TV, the channel of the national team. Under the topics he has discussed, it is impossible not to defend the old days with Leonardo Bonucci and Andrea Barzagli. Not to mention the European Championship won in 2021, of which, he says, “I remain indelible memories. A insane satisfaction, shared with all my teammates.”
The start of a great champion
“I played for almost all national youth teams,” says Chiellini. “As a boy it seemed like a dream to wear the Jerseys under 15 or below 16.” His professional debut came in the early 2000s, in the C1 series, with Livorno. The 2004-05 season, his only ones in Fiorentina, marked his debut in the Serie A.
The following year the start of a very long stint at Juventus (2005-2022), where he is currently a manager: “I consider it a sort of second family; Turin has become my city. I have given this club so much: I sacrificed part of my personal life, but I have been paid back with extraordinary sporting successes and the affection of millions of fans.” It has been a wonderful journey, shared with great teammates and confronted with great opponents. “The strongest striker I confronted? Zlatan Ibrahimovic, with whom I also played when he arrived in Italy: a really remarkable figure. The teammate who taught me the most was Cristiano Ronaldo.”
A look back: the warrior
“When I look back,” Chiellini emphasized, “I think back to a few youthful mistakes, some early career excesses. The 'Warrior' icon is part of me, but in those years it was as if I needed an enemy. I worked on this aspect: it was just waste. Italy and the triumph of the Nationale Team -one maturing.
BBC: a golden age, but be aware of the giants
The former Juventus defender continued: “The 'BBC', Barzagli-Bonucci-Chiellini, is a combination that is still remembered. Was it the strongest Azzurri defense in history? No, although there is no doubt that, with my friends I had added to whom I was a period of it. I can say that Bastoni is very strong.