Juventus captain Giorgio Chiellini
Juventus captain Giorgio Chiellini has confirmed that he will play for at least one more season. Chiellini also said he'd love to work with current Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola.
"I think that if it had happened 10 years ago, I wouldn't have had the peace of mind to accept it," he told Martina Colombari on Instagram as quoted by juvefc.com regarding his ACL injury which forced him to miss much of the current season.
"At 35, with all the experience I've had, I can understand it's a passing phase and you turn that into the energy to recover. I have improved overall in my mentality, because when I was younger, I'd use up a lot of energy by getting angry. I have a fortunate life, so remembering that in bad moments helps you focus that anger."
"Future plans? I will play another year, then I'll see how I feel and how my legs hold up. I could retire next summer or have another season after that. I would like to continue in the world of football, probably more a directorial role than management, but you never know in life.
"I hope to be able to play in the delayed Euro 2020, so I can also act as a nanny to the talented young players in the squad. It's coming full circle," he said.
Speaking about Guardiola, he said: "I watched that documentary on Manchester City and you can see the charisma of Guardiola really is special, even with weaknesses.
"For someone who is passionate about football, you can immediately tell the greatness. I have not had the good fortune of getting to know Guardiola, I only saw him from a distance.
"Until Conte arrived, a defender was just a defender. He'd focus on simple things, not creating moves from the back, but he insisted from the start that we could create too. Antonio asked a lot from me and gave me just as much in return.
"Allegri and Conte were genuinely special coaches for me and helped me mature tactically. Marcello Lippi was able to read situations more than tactics, he had a clear and honest rapport with everyone. I was a bit too young when I worked with him to really appreciate that."
