The end of an era is approaching Juventus and Italy this summer. According to Goal’s Romeo Agresti, centre-back Giorgio Chiellini is expected to leave Turin at the end of the summer and would, by that time, have hung up his international boots.
The 37-year-old is contracted to the Bianconeri until the end of the 2023 season but will prematurely walk away from the highest echelon of European football and, if reports are to be believed, continue his career elsewhere.
Chiellini will not only be stepping down from the top tier of domestic football, but he will also be bidding farewell to the Italian national team.
The veteran confirmed his desire to step away from international football after Italy’s one-off friendly game against Argentina – a tie held between the winners of the European and South American champions which will take place on June 1.
“If I’m fine, I’ll play and say goodbye to the national team at Wembley, where I reached the peak of my career. It would be great to say goodbye to the Azzurri shirt with a celebratory match like the one with Argentina. For the national team, it will be the last time,”
he told DAZN.
With the European leg of Chiellini’s football journey coming to an end, Major League Soccer could be a likely next step. Chiellini’s camp is reportedly exploring options across the Atlantic, hoping to follow in the footsteps of another fellow Serie A stalwart Lorenzo Insigne when he switches Napoli for Toronto at the end of the season.
With more than 550 appearances for Juventus, Chiellini will leave a modern club great. With him in the back, alongside Leonardo Bonucci, Andrea Barzaghli, and later Matthijs de Ligt, the Bianconeri went on a run of nine successive league titles while winning the domestic cup five times and even reaching the final of the UEFA Champions League on two separate occasions.
