Leonardo Bonucci’s wife Martina Maccari wrote an emotional message to Juventus saying the club was ‘always’ her husband’s priority: ‘I loved and hated you.’
Bonucci had been frozen out of the team in the summer and joined Bundesliga side Union Berlin on the deadline day. It was not the end of the story as the defender has sued his former club claiming image and professional damage.
- Read more – How the Bonucci-Juventus relationship fell apart
Bonucci’s wife Martina Maccari penned an emotional letter to the club, posting her message on Instagram on Wednesday. It came with a picture of the Allianz Stadium, where her husband spent the best years of his career.
“So what do we have left? Not even a squalid last hug. I had to come see you on a rainy Turinese morning because looking at you makes me feel you may hear me for a moment,” she wrote.
“We’ve been friends for 13 long years and you know that. One was bigger and the other one smaller. One was loved by everyone, the other had to struggle to find her space.
“Friends drawn by passion, even to antagonism. Friends who do not choose each other but whom life approaches for some strange reason. You and I have shared a passion for the same man, and you (now I can confess it) have always won,” Bonucci’s wife continued.
“You were the first thought, the priority, and I was the one for the time left. You were always there even when I couldn’t see you. One of those friends that always make you feel in the shadow but protected at the same time. I knew I came second, but the first one was unreachable. A friend who would always inspire you even when things didn’t work, surprising you all the time.
“Maybe that’s why I often hated you in this love absorbed by osmosis. I hated you in the shadow of a programmed loneliness you forced me to. Beyond the horizon of uncontrolled feelings such as love and hate, I was sure you would guide me.
“I thought that, despite everything, we would have continued to recognise each other. I thought we’d have been forever loyal to a story of life, sacrifice and gratitude, work and love. I thought we would have continued to take care of each other.
“I am so sorry, I will not cross the road when meeting you. I stand by the deal, losing a lot and even giving up what we competed for for so many years.
“Good life.”
Bonucci spent 12 years of his career at Juventus, scoring 37 goals in 502 games. He joined Milan in 2017 after a dispute with coach Massimiliano Allegri but returned to Turin one year later.
Bonucci has signed a one-year contract with Union Berlin, joining the Bundesliga side on a free transfer.