Giorgio Chiellini looked back at infamous incidents with Luis Suarez, Edinson Cavani, Zlatan Ibrahimovic and Zinedine Zidane.
Giorgio Chiellini looked back at infamous incidents with Luis Suarez, Edinson Cavani, Zlatan Ibrahimovic and Zinedine Zidane.
The Juventus” data-scaytid=”8″>Juventus defender gave a long interview with La Gazzetta dello Sport, covering such subjects as initially wanting to follow his father’s footsteps as a surgeon and studying Plato.
The 30-year-old has been involved in a fair few scuffles during his career, most famously at the 2014 World Cup when his shoulder was munched by Uruguay striker Suarez.
“At that moment I wasn’t thinking of just telling tales on Suarez, but of reaching the Last 16 of the World Cup,” said Chiellini.
“I was certain that if he was sent off, Uruguay would never have got through to the next round, just as I always thought with Zidane on the field perhaps the 2006 Final would’ve gone a different way.”
Chiello also had some run-ins with Ibrahimovic and famously pulled then-Napoli striker Cavani’s hair.
“Ibrahimovic remains the best of them all, as he can change a game by himself. With him we used elbows, threats and after a post-Calciopoli edition of Juventus-Inter were close to getting into a fight. At the end of the day, we had a good rapport though.
“I did pull Cavani’s hair during Napoli-Juve, but obviously other things had happened first.”
The Uruguayan didn’t seem to take it too personally, as the pair swapped shirts at the final whistle.
“As a child I was a Milan supporter, buying my Rossoneri backpack and notepad. It was for Paolo Maldini and Franco Baresi.
“For years I dreamed of Maldini’s jersey and one day I got it at San Siro. It’s just a shame I received it after losing 6-0, including my own goal.
“I was stunned by the way he left football, as that final day at San Siro he was jeered by his own fans, a really ugly spectacle. Despite that, he held his head high, just as when he was playing.
“Maldini has had the same attitude afterwards, standing to one side, without stirring up controversy or trying to ‘sell’ himself to get a cushy role.
“I don’t know what my farewell to football will be, but I hope it’ll be as clean as his.”