Former Juventus defender Giorgio Chiellini admits last night’s MLS Cup Final could be his last game as a professional footballer: ‘I need to go back to Italy and make a final decision.’
Chiellini’s LAFC failed to retain the domestic title losing the MLS Cup Final against Columbus Crew on Saturday night.
The Italian defender spoke at a press conference after the final whistle and admitted he could now decide to retire.
“It was a beautiful journey; I said yesterday that, unfortunately, one of the two teams had to lose. About me…it could be my last game. I was very focused on it. Now I need to enjoy the family, go back to Italy and then make a final decision. I don’t want to decide something and then change [my mind],” he said.
Chiellini joined LAFC in the summer of 2022 after the end of his contract with Juventus.
The legendary Italian defender had spent 18 years in Turin scoring 36 goals in 561 appearances with the Old Lady.
He’s been one of the most successful players in Juventus’ history, winning nine consecutive Serie A titles, one Serie B title, five Coppa Italia and five Supercups.
He won the MLS title last season, in his first campaign at LAFC.
Chiellini has recently revealed he may return to Juventus in the future but during his latest post-match press conference, he added that he’d like to ‘remain close’ to the MLS.
“It’s been a beautiful journey since the beginning. To be honest, I had a lot of dreams and I’ve realised it’s been much better than I had dreamt for me and my family,” he said.
“I told my teammates: ‘I am afraid I arrived too late’ because there is a big gap from here to Europe. First of all, economically, right now, it’s impossible to arrive [in the MLS] earlier, but at the same time, it’s improving fast.
“I am very happy that here things can change year by year and we don’t have to wait decades as in Italy, it’s a light organisation that could really raise quickly. I told you many times about the Messi deal that could be a boost for the league. It’s not just about Messi, we must find a balance, but the commissioner is focused on the future and can bring strategic ideas. I am happy to be part of this league. I hope I can remain close to it in the future, in many ways. From here or from Europe, I don’t know. I hope I can help this league and this organisation to continue developing.”