After the European champions play Argentina in a friendly at Wembley in June, Italy defender Giorgio Chiellini will retire from international football.
Italy’s failure to qualify for this year’s World Cup in Qatar appears to have expedited the decision of the 37-year-old Juventus defender, who will play his final match against Argentina in London, where the Azzurri won the European Championship in July.
‘I’ll say goodbye to the national team at Wembley, which is where I experienced the pinnacle of my career winning the Euros,’ Chiellini told DAZN after Juve’s 2-1 win at Sassuolo in Serie A on Monday.
‘I’d like to say goodbye to the Azzurri with a nice memory. That will certainly be my last game with Italy.’
Chiellini is tied for fifth all-time in Italy appearances with Andrea Pirlo, with only Daniele De Rossi, Paolo Maldini, Fabio Cannavaro, and Gianluigi Buffon ahead of him with 116 caps.
However, the experienced centre defender, who came in as a substitute for Juventus on Monday, has yet to decide whether or not to extend his stay at the club beyond this season.
‘My love affair with Juventus is not ending, it will never end,’ he added.