Giorgio Chiellini

Giorgio Chiellini (born 14 August 1984) is an Italian former professional footballer who played as a centre-back.

Considered one of the best defenders of his generation, Chiellini was known for his strength, aggressiveness and man-marking, as well as his ability to play in either a three or four-man defense.

He also played as a left-back earlier in his career.

He played in the club's youth academy between 1990 and 2000.

At club level, Chiellini began his career with Livorno in 2000, later playing for Fiorentina on loan as well.

In 2000, he took part in Torneo di Arco as a squad player for AC Milan's U-17 team as a part of his trial; despite rated satisfactory by the youth coach Davide Ballardini, he did not receive an offer to join the team permanently.

In the 2000–01 Serie C1 season, Chiellini started to receive his first call-ups to the senior team and eventually made three appearances and followed that up with five more appearances the following season.

In June 2002, Chiellini was signed by Roma in a co-ownership deal, for €3.1 million, (who also saw Marco Amelia, move in the opposite direction, for €2.8 million) however, he was loaned back to Livorno for the 2002–03 Serie B season, after they had earned promotion.

In his first Serie B season, Chiellini made six seasonal appearances, also making his Coppa Italia debut.

In his second Serie B season, Chiellini broke into the starting line-up for the club, and would go on to make 42 official appearances, also scoring four goals from his left back position.

Having made his international debut for Italy in 2004, Chiellini was selected in the nation's squads for the 2004 Summer Olympics, winning a bronze medal.

He also represented Italy in four UEFA European Championships, two FIFA World Cups and two FIFA Confederations Cups.

In June 2004, Livorno officially bought back Chiellini for €3 million.

During his four-season spell with the clubs' first team, Chiellini made a total of 57 appearances, scoring four goals, before his transfer to Juventus.

Chiellini was signed by Juventus in the summer 2004 for €6.5 million from Livorno, but was immediately sold in a co-ownership deal to Fiorentina for €3.5 million, and played on the Florentine team during the 2004–05 Serie A season.

The complex deal actually meant Juventus bought Roma's half for €3 million and Fiorentina bought Livorno's half for €3.5 million.

In his loan season with the club, Chiellini was a regular in the club's starting XI, making 42 official appearances, also scoring three goals.

After moving to Juventus in 2005, he won a record nine consecutive Serie A titles with the club from 2012 to 2020, as well as five Coppa Italia and five Supercoppa Italiana trophies, having also played two UEFA Champions League finals in 2015 and 2017.

After an excellent first season in Serie A, Chiellini was recalled for the 2005–06 season and Juventus paid €4.3 million for the rest of his contract.

He became a regular under Fabio Capello and made 23 appearances in his first season with the club, also helping the Old Lady to their 29th scudetto (which was later assigned to Inter following the 2006 "Calciopoli" scandal).

While in the Serie B, he started playing at centre back, partnering Nicola Legrottaglie, Jean-Alain Boumsong and Robert Kovač at various stages of the season.

Juventus won the 2006–07 Serie B title, gaining Serie A promotion with the best goal difference, conceding only 30 goals and scoring over 80 in 42 matches.

He scored a double in a 5–1 thrashing at Arezzo in May, a result that mathematically sealed promotion for Juventus.

Chiellini extended his original contract from until 2009 to 2011 on 12 October 2006.

With Juventus back in Serie A for the 2007–08 season, Chiellini again was a starter for the club at left back, but following injuries to Jorge Andrade and Domenico Criscito, he was shifted to centre back again.

Chiellini had a tremendous season and eventually made the position his own.

Alongside fellow centre-half Nicola Legrottaglie, the duo were instrumental as Juventus finished the season with the joint second-best defensive record.

The surprising aspect of this is that neither were considered remotely close to pinning down a centre back position in the summer before the season, with Domenico Criscito and Jorge Andrade preferred as the starting duo.

He has been a regular fixture in the Juventus backline since their return to Serie A and was notably named Man of the Match in a game against Juventus rivals, Internazionale when he won a physical and heated duel with former teammate Zlatan Ibrahimović, keeping the Swedish striker at bay.

Chiellini was named in the Serie A Team of the Year five times, and was elected the league's Defender of the Year on three consecutive occasions between 2008 and 2010.

He departed to the United States to join Los Angeles FC in 2022, winning the Supporters' Shield and MLS Cup in his first season, before announcing his retirement the following year at the age of 39.

On 27 April 2008, Chiellini scored twice for Juventus in 5–2 win over Lazio that confirmed Juventus's place in the Serie A top four.

on 26 June 2008, Chiellini extended his contract with Juventus until 2013.

During the 2008–09 season, Chiellini remained as first choice in central defence alongside Nicola Legrottaglie.

Chiellini scored his first goal in Europe on 13 August 2008 as Juve beat Artmedia Petržalka 4–0 in the first leg of the UEFA Champions League third qualifying round tie.

Four days later, he injured his left knee again during the Trofeo Luigi Berlusconi against AC Milan and missed the start of the Serie A season, returning to duty in September starting in each of Juve's first three Champions League group games.

He captained the Azzurri to the UEFA Euro 2020 title, and was also part of the sides that reached the final of Euro 2012 and achieved a third-place finish at the 2013 Confederations Cup.

Chiellini retired from international football in 2022 with 117 caps, making him Italy's joint fifth-highest appearance holder.

Chiellini joined the youth teams at Livorno at age six and started out as a central midfielder.

As he matured, he switched to playing as a winger and finally he found his position as a left back.