Paulo Dybala was somehow ignored by Juventus in his last game at the Allianz Stadium, but fans gave him a warm farewell and booed the management, with the Argentinean breaking into tears, writes Lorenzo Bettoni in Turin.
Another era ended tonight as Giorgio Chiellini and Dybala played their last home game with Juventus. However, somebody watching football for the first time would think that only Chiellini was going to leave the club.
The Bianconeri had prepared a special choreography for their captain and a patch on their kit for the match against Lazio: ‘The Great Chiello.’ No words can describe the importance of Chiellini to the club. He is the only payer to have won all the nine Serie A titles during Juventus’ magic decade and has become one of the most iconic defenders in the history of Italian football.
He embodies Juventus on and off the pitch and it is no coincidence that he has a place reserved in the club once he hangs his boots. Chiellini decided to leave despite having a contract expiring in 2023. The veteran defender had extended for two more seasons following Italy’s Euro 2020 triumph last summer and hoped to play his final World Cup at the end of the year.
However, the Azzurri’s failed attempt to qualify for Qatar 2022 convinced him to leave one year earlier and he is now likely to continue his career in the MLS, where he could play for one more season.
Juventus had prepared a perfect farewell for their captain, one of the most important players in the club’s history. Aside from the patch and the choreography, Chiellini (who had been subbed off at minute 17, one minute for every year at the club) was saluted by his teammates and the Juventus Women’s team after the match. The Old Lady showed a video of his highlights in a Bianconeri shirt, which the defender watched from the centre of the pitch with his daughters. Chiellini decided to leave Juventus. It was his own decision and he had probably taken it weeks ago, so he looked entirely at peace.
His farewell would have been shaped perfectly if it wasn’t that another key Juventus player was giving his farewell to the Old Lady’s fans: Dybala. The announcer never mentioned the Argentinean throughout the night, so he had to take centre stage by himself. He has had a controversial rapport with the club and the management, especially over the last two years, but the love from the majority of Juventus fans has never been questioned and it was evident last night as well.
They only stopped when the likes of Maurizio Arrivabene, Pavel Nedved and Andrea Agnelli appeared on the big screens. The crowd booed (especially from Curva Sud), seeing them as the ones responsible for Dybala’s exit. Juventus tried to shift focus on Chiellini, but, in the end, it was Dybala who took centre stage at the Allianz Stadium.
He hasn’t always been consistent and he hasn’t always been fit during his spell at Juventus. It hasn’t always been easy to deal with him either, but he was still responsible for 115 goals in 291 games during his seven seasons at the club. He has equalled Roberto Baggio for goals scored with the club, becoming one of the best 10 scorers in the Bianconeri’s history. Dybala didn’t want to leave. Juventus took the final decision on his future, changing their minds after reaching an agreement with the player at the end of 2021 and withdrawing their offer in March.
The club’s decision to focus entirely on Chiellini is understandable, but Dybala deserved something more from the club after all he’s done for the team in the last seven years. At the beginning of the season, Juventus directors repeatedly said that the Argentinean would become the cornerstone of their project and the future captain following Chiellini’s departure. It didn’t happen and Dybala was treated like an average player by the club last night. They shared a few pictures on social media to pay tribute to La Joya after the game, but nothing had been organised for him on the pitch and he didn’t deserve it.
Both Dybala and Chiellini’s futures are still up in the air. The Argentinean has offers from abroad but is probably waiting for an official offer from Inter. It remains to be seen if he will join Juventus’ biggest rivals in the summer, especially after last night’s scenes. Contrary to Chiellini, he hadn’t decided to leave Juventus, it was the club’s choice to part ways. The Argentinean didn’t want to go and even remained on the pitch when everyone else was gone, sitting on the turf with Dusan Vlahovic, who had dedicated his goal to him. Surely, Juventus were not prepared to see Dybala take centre stage, but things don’t always go to plan for them, especially this season.
@lorebetto