Giorgio Chiellini has criticised Leonardo Bonucci’s decision to leave Juventus in 2017. “I would’ve understood if he went to Real Madrid, but to that Milan?”
Bonucci made a stunning switch to Milan during the summer of Yonghong Li but struggled to settle at San Siro and ended up returning to Juve the following year.
“His year at Milan was different,” wrote Chiellini in an excerpt from his new autobiography, ‘Io, Giorgio’.
Giorgio Chiellini has criticised Leonardo Bonucci’s decision to leave Juventus in 2017. “I would’ve understood if he went to Real Madrid, but to that Milan?”
Bonucci made a stunning switch to Milan during the summer of Yonghong Li but struggled to settle at San Siro and ended up returning to Juve the following year.
“His year at Milan was different,” wrote Chiellini in an excerpt from his new autobiography, ‘Io, Giorgio’.
“It was certainly the wrong decision [to join Milan] because he wasn’t at peace with himself, therefore he couldn’t play with a clear head.
“Leo was shaken for a thousand reasons. I felt bad about it because everything happened in the weeks when we didn’t see each other.
“I’m sure if it happened at another time, I would’ve got him to think about staying, like Conte in July 2014. They always leave when I’m not there…
“I talked to Leo when everything was all done. It was something without any logic from start to finish.
“I would’ve understood if he went to Real Madrid, but to that Milan? Luckily, fate wanted everything to come back to normal.”
The 35-year-old was then asked about how his centre-back partner conducted himself away from football.
“Off the field, Bonucci is very different from the grumpy figure we see on it. I won’t say he’s reflective, but certainly he isn’t so fiery.
“Then, like everyone else, he’ll go for five minutes every now and then. Juventus have done well to channel Bonucci’s exuberance in the right way: too much energy out of control can be harmful, but when used well it becomes devastating.”