Giorgio Chiellini dropped hints he has played his last game in the Italy jersey. ‘These lads will write important pages in the history of Italian football.’
The 37-year-old started this evening’s 3-2 friendly victory in Turkey, making his 116th appearance in the Azzurri jersey.
When he was substituted, the Juventus defender took off the captain’s armband, kissed it and put it on the arm of Gianluigi Donnarumma.
He then gave coach Roberto Mancini a warm embrace when leaving the field.
Chiellini dropped more hints on Instagram that his time with the Nazionale is coming to an end earlier than expected, now that they won’t be at the World Cup.
“We expected to play a different game this evening and we cannot deny that,” wrote the centre-back, referring to the World Cup play-off final.
“Thursday was a sad page in the history book of our careers, we will always have a void inside us. But in sport, just as in life, we must have the strength to get back on our feet. Always.
“And these lads will write more important pages in the history of Italian football, giving us all the same emotions we were fortunate enough to experience last summer.
Always and forever, FORZA AZZURRI.”
With 116 caps, Chiellini is now joint fifth in the all-time Italy charts alongside Andrea Pirlo, with only Daniele De Rossi, Paolo Maldini, Fabio Cannavaro and Gianluigi Buffon ahead of him.
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Grazie Giorgio! Grazie Campione!
‘Chiellini is now joint fifth in the all-time Italy charts alongside Andrea Pirlo, with only Daniele De Rossi, Paolo Maldini, Fabio Cannavaro and Gianluigi Buffon ahead of him.‘
What an honour to be alongside those great Azzuri.
UN Vero campione
Feroli, most shocking is out of all those names Maldini is the only one to have won nothing with the Azzurri
Legend. Will be sorely missed.
Probably the last of his kind.
Msn. In the all time cap Italy list seems only Maldini that don’t win with azzuri..