Giorgio Chiellini given emotional farewell to Juventus

 

 

Giorgio Chiellini has just completed his last Juventus home game.

 

It’s the end of an era at the Allianz Stadium, with the Juventus great and captain bringing an end to a 17-year spell in the renowned black and white stripes.

 

While Chiellini was recruited by the Old Lady in 2004, he did not make his Turin debut until the following season after spending the previous season on loan at Fiorentina.

 

However, all good things must come to an end, and Chiellini’s contract expiration this summer marked the end of one of contemporary men’s football’s most productive player-club collaborations.

And Juventus’ league match against Lazio on Monday night proved to be his final opportunity to play in front of the people who had supported him for over two decades.

As a result, Massimiliano Allegri not only handed the Juve great his chance in the spotlight by granting him a starting spot, but also provided him with a ceremonial substitute.

 

When Chiellini was sent off 17 minutes into the Lazio match, he waved goodbye to the Juventus crowd in the spirit of John Terry and Didier Drogba’s Chelsea farewells.

Why seventeen minutes? Although nothing has been verified at this time, supporters are putting two and two together and speculating that it’s because Chiellini has served the club for 17 years.

In any case, the circumstances at the Allianz Stadium were rather memorable, with Chiellini sharing hugs with his colleagues and receiving a standing ovation from the crowd.