Italian defender Giorgio Chiellini has no plans of being anyone but himself.
For however long Chiellini wears Black & Gold, Los Angeles Football Club fans should not desire more than that.
Joining Major League Soccer at the tail end of his stellar career, the lanky 37-year-old center back, a Juventus legend and Italian national team captain, has been heralded as highly intelligent and a gladiator on the field.
“This is a day clubs dream of and a day I’ve dreamt of since starting here,” LAFC co-president and general manager John Thorrington said Wednesday while introducing Chiellini. “We’re welcoming a player who has had unprecedented success in the global game.
“We know exactly what Giorgio will bring to LAFC because it will be what he’s brought to every single team he’s played on, which is to do absolutely everything he can to lead his team to victory. To championships.”
Contemplating retirement following Italy’s stunning loss in a World Cup qualifying playoff match against North Macedonia in the spring, Chiellini knew his 17-year run at Juventus, which netted myriad trophies including nine consecutive league titles starting in 2011, was at an end. But the three-time Serie A Defender of the Year believed he could play at a high level after leading his country to a European Championship in 2020, earning recognition as defender of the tournament.
Chiellini’s awareness of MLS started years ago during summer vacations he took to the U.S. As the league grew in prominence he considered it a potential destination.
LAFC inquired about Chiellini’s future at the end of March, though the seed was planted in 2017 when assistant GM Will Kuntz met Giorgio’s twin brother Claudio at a scouting conference in Italy.
“From the first time I started to talk to Will and John I am fully convinced that this club is perfect for me,” Chiellini said while answering questions in English after waking in the dead of night to catch a 13-hour flight to the U.S. so he could be introduced at Banc of California Stadium. “I started to understand the organization behind the club and they really want me.
“Honestly, it was not so easy convincing Juventus or convincing my wife to do this big change, but in the end, I am here.”
When the move became a real option Chiellini said he consulted other Italians with MLS experience, including Andrea Pirlo and Alessandro Nesta, as well as Alessandro Del Piero, the most tenured Juventus player of all time who now lives in Los Angeles as a hob-nobbing restauranter.
“I have to adjust in as little time as possible to a different way of play, a different way of life,” said the Pisa native, who expects a natural transition to a team that stands atop the standings midway through the season.
Chiellini can share the pitch with recently re-signed LAFC captain Carlos Vela, newly acquired international star Gareth Bale and a deep roster of experienced and young players when the MLS secondary transfer window officially opens on July 7.
Joining a league that often targets high-profile attackers as attention-getters, Chiellini smiled as he noted that forwards sell tickets but defenders win championships.
“Surely it’s impossible for me to have the same physical characteristics as 10 years ago, but I can also bring something to them,” said Chiellini, who turns 38 in August. “We have to create a good mix with experience, with enthusiasm with younger players in order to become a winning group. The team is fantastic. I don’t have to change something or bring something special. Just what I am and hope to continue in this way.”
from Signage https://ift.tt/t68iwCE
via Irvine Sign Company
from Signage https://ift.tt/6QEHcTm
via Irvine Sign Company
