Juventus and Italy captain Giorgio Chiellini insists he is still focused on his playing career but warns that Italian football must change, even by adopting a playoff system in Serie A.
Chiellini’s contract at the Allianz Stadium runs out in 2023, but he will likely leave Juventus in the summer. He could either retire or play for one more season in the MLS.
“As long as you are a footballer, you are only focused on your career. I’ve never thought about anything else,” he told La Stampa newspaper.
“Obviously, I would like to begin a path to becoming a director in the future, to make the most of the experience that I’ve earned during my career and apply it to a different environment.
“I’d like to focus on what’s around the pitch and I have a lot to study. I know this sport well, but it’s not enough to have a role. I know everything about Continassa [Juventus training ground], even where there are spider webs, but I only have a vague idea of what’s going on inside the headquarters.”
Juventus President Andrea Agnelli has recently claimed that Chiellini will have a spot in the control room at the club and the defender seems to have clear ideas on the state of Italian football despite being in no rush to begin a new chapter of his professional life.
“We must change the rules, but overall the mentality,” he said.
“There is too much conservatism in Italy. In the business world, they do things that must be done, but in football, every change is seen as a potential threat.
“Think about stadiums. Everyone knows that we need something different, we need structures that involve families and kids to keep them close to our world. However, you can’t build any, with a few exceptions. There is always a bureaucratic hitch or someone who gets in the way.”
Chiellini is also favourable to changing the league’s format, including play-offs.
“The Serie A format should change. For example, there would be more suspense and unpredictability by introducing play-offs,” he said.
“It would be an extraordinary event which would attract millions of fans. However, new things are scary and in the end, nothing happens. The common target is to keep this passion alive, or we could lose an enormous social heritage.”
Chiellini will likely play his last Serie A game on May 22 away at Fiorentina. The 37-year-old spent one season on loan at Franchi at the beginning of his playing career (2204-05), scoring three goals in 42 appearances, including one against the Old Lady.