Giorgio Chiellini: How brilliant is the Italy defender?

Giorgio Chiellini made his 117th and final Italy appearance as the 2022 Finalissima meeting with Argentina brought an end to his 18-year senior international career.

UEFA.com explains how the 37-year-old came to be one of the most loved (and feared) central defenders in modern football.

What they say about Chiellini

"[Giorgio Chiellini and Leonardo Bonucci] are the best central-defensive partnership in world football; we have heard that for many years. Their strength is that they want to prove that every match."
Roberto Mancini, Italy coach 

"We know each other's game inside out. It comes very naturally. You don't have to think about the other things you normally would when playing with someone else. We can share the workload and it allows us to both be leaders. That is crucial."
Leonardo Bonucci, Italy and Juventus defender

"Which defenders gave me the hardest time? There are two: Chiellini and Sergio Ramos. They are both tough and physical. They know all the tricks in the book but are always within the rules. It is difficult but also fun to play against them."
Robert Lewandowski, Bayern and Poland forward

"He’s an amazing defender. My first start for England, probably the first five minutes, he made a challenge and I had a dead leg for about ten minutes. So it was a good welcome.”
Harry Kane, England forward

Chiellini stats – current tally

International: 117 appearances, 8 goals
UEFA club competition: 92 appearances, 5 goals
Domestic competition: 576 appearances, 38 goals

Chiellini's claims to fame

Italy
▪ Chiellini represented Italy at all youth levels, winning the 2003 UEFA European Under-19 Championship and making two appearances at the 2004 Olympics. Chiellini said: "I still remember all the tournaments, all the different events I played, which might not be very well known around the world ... but you learn a lot. You can already see the star players of tomorrow."

▪ He came off the bench to make his senior Italy debut in a 1-0 win against Finland on 17 November 2004 and scored his first international goal in a 3-1 success against the Faroe Islands on 21 November 2007.

▪ He helped Italy to the UEFA EURO 2012 final, despite suffering a thigh injury in the semi-final. He started the decisive game against Spain but had to be substituted after 21 minutes.

▪ Chiellini formally retired from international football after Italy failed to make it to the 2018 FIFA World Cup finals but was persuaded to return by Roberto Mancini.

▪ He became the oldest player to appear for Italy at a EURO after featuring in the UEFA EURO 2020 opener against Turkey at the age of 36. Went on to captain the Azzurri to glory as they beat final hosts England on penalties after a 1-1 draw in the decider at Wembley.

▪ He confirmed that the Finalissima meeting with Argentina at Wembley would be his last Italy game, explaining: "I'll say goodbye to the national team at Wembley, which is where I experienced the pinnacle of my career winning the EURO. I'd like to say goodbye to the Azzurri with a nice memory. That will certainly be my last game with Italy." Sadly for the departing icon, it ended with Argentina winning 3-0.

Livorno
▪ Born in Pisa, Chiellini first linked up with Livorno at the age of six. He made eight senior appearances for the club before being sold to Roma in 2002, but he was loaned back to Livorno and the Serie B club secured his permanent return in 2004.

Juventus
▪ He sparkled as a left-back at Juventus but found his true calling in the 2007/08 season after injuries forced Juve to use him as a central defender. Alongside Andrea Barzagli and Leonardo Bonucci, he would form the club's fabled 'BBC' three-man defence from midway through the 2011/12 season.

▪ Injury forced him to miss Juventus' 3-1 UEFA Champions League final defeat by Barcelona in 2015.

▪ Chiellini became Juventus captain in 2018 after Gianluigi Buffon's departure. During his time at the club, he won nine league titles and five editions of the Coppa Italia. With his contract expiring this summer, his final game for the club was a Serie A meeting with Lazio in May.

What you might not know about Chiellini

Leonardo Bonucci and Giorgio Chiellini celebrate victory at EURO 2020POOL/AFP via Getty Images

▪ Chiellini is married with two daughters. He also has a twin brother, Claudio, and younger siblings Giulio and Silvia.

▪ His idols growing up were AC Milan defender Paolo Maldini and basketball player Kobe Bryant. He actually started playing basketball before he tried football: Livorno is a huge basketball city in Italy.

▪ As a child, Chiellini played for Livorno as a central midfielder and a winger before settling to a position as a left-back. He also had a trial spell with AC Milan in 2000, with Paolo Sammarco – whom he played alongside in Milan colours during a friendly tournament – surprised that the club did not take the defender on: "He arrived on tiptoes, almost; shy and polite as he is now. He was big and he had superhuman strength, and we were convinced that Milan would sign him."

▪ Italy's then captain Fabio Cannavaro missed UEFA EURO 2008 after he tore ligaments in his left ankle following a collision with Chiellini in training. Chiellini was so upset that Cannavaro had to offer him consolation. "I comforted him," said Cannavaro. "He was broken. I told him that it wasn't his fault. We already lost one player, it's not worth losing a second."

▪ Every parent's dream, Chiellini kept up his studies while playing football. A fluent English speaker, he said of his school in Livorno: "Knowing I was playing and training, my teachers came to me, but I have always made an effort, so that made up for all the times I was absent". He gained a degree in Economics and Commerce from the University of Turin (in 2010) and a master's in Business Administration (in 2017).

▪ Uruguay's Luis Suárez was banned from football for four months after biting Chiellini during a crucial 2014 World Cup finals game, which Italy ended up losing. However, the defender was conciliatory towards Suárez afterwards. "I like facing strikers like him," Chiellini said. "I called him a couple of days after the game, but he had no need to apologise to me. I too am a [swear word] on the field and proud of it."

▪ Old friends in Livorno helped Chiellini to come up with his 'King Kong' goal celebration. "I wanted something that summed me up. [Former Inter striker] Adriano did the Hulk so I couldn't copy that, so in the end I went for King Kong.”

▪ After Italy's EURO 2020 triumph, Chiellini published a social media video about the 'Italian Gorilla'. A light-hearted, fake nature documentary, it described its subject as "a species native from Livorno," adding: "The gorilla eats the grass trampled by opponents to taste their fear." The 'Italian Gorilla', it transpires, "is one of the strongest animals in Europe".

▪ Team-mates thought he was more useful than Cristiano Ronaldo – at least in training. In 2018, Juventus forward Federico Bernardeschi was asked whether the players wanted to have CR7 on their small-sided teams during training ground games. He replied: "It’s actually better to have Chiellini."

What Chiellini says

Giorgio Chiellini on loan at Fiorentina in 2004Getty Images

"I was a Milan fan as a child, but getting older you learn a bit more and I realised that was a mistake. I now hope to end my career at Juventus."
On his youthful footballing indiscretions

"I was never the best in my age group. I was like the Ugly Duckling because I am not beautiful to look at but I always improved. That is my most significant skill."
On learning his craft

"Winning a challenge, blocking a shot, stopping the opposition from scoring, becoming annoying for opposition strikers because they struggle to get the better of you and score against you."
On his favourite aspects of defending

"I'll never get rid of the headbands I play in. I put them on even when I don't need to. Luckily, I haven't broken my nose in about ten years."
On his trademark headbands

"How do you mark Ronaldo? You try not to leave him alone and don't let him shoot on his right foot. Lionel Messi? You just make the sign of the cross!"
On how to defend against the two greatest forwards of his age

"A win is as exciting at 36 as it is at 21. Maybe at 36 you feel it more because you understand more how hard it is and the work that goes into it ... Now I have the maturity to understand fully what this championship means to us."
On the prospect of winning UEFA EURO 2020 at the age of 36

"At the end of the day, it's better to be an unpleasant winner than a nice loser."
On his attitude to football