Legendary Italian footballer and Juventus defender Giorgio Chiellini has announced his retirement, bringing the curtains down on a trophy-packed career. Chiellini described his career as "the most beautiful and intense journey of my life". (Football News)
The 39-year-old captained Italy to their Euro 2020 triumph and had a 23-year-long professional career. Chiellini began his club foray with Livorno in 2000 and moved to Juventus in 2005, where he made his name as a star defender and Serie A icon.
Since June 2022, he had been playing in Major League Soccer (MLS) with Los Angeles FC. LAFC were beaten 2-1 by Columbus Crew in the MLS Cup final on Saturday, December 9, 2023.
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Posting on social media platform X (formerly Twitter), Chiellini said: "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 helped Juventus win a whopping nine Serie A titles in a row from 2011 and 2020, and the Coppa Italia five times. The former Italy captain, who retired from international football in 2022, made 117 appearances and scored eight goals.