Chiellini: ‘Live in the moment’
Giorgio Chiellini explains his philosophy of ‘living in the moment’ for Italy and Juventus after signing a contract to 2023. ‘I’ll be happy if I play the World Cup, but if not, I’ll be happy anyway.’
The captain finally put pen to paper this evening, having been a free agent since June 30. It means that at the end of this new contract, Chiellini will have spent 19 years at Juventus.
“Best not to think about that, it’ll make me feel even older!” he laughed on Juventus TV.
“I am happy, even if it seems like a formality, these are important steps in life. I arrived here barely an adult and now I’m part of the family, a mature person who is enjoying every moment of the last years.
“I really hope that I can give my contribution and help this team to win more titles, which as we know here is the most important thing.”
The contract had expired on June 30, so he lifted the UEFA EURO 2020 trophy as Italy captain without a club, and waited until his vacation had concluded before signing a new deal.
Curiously, he spent the summer with his Italy and Juventus teammate Leonardo Bonucci, their families opting to vacation together.
“In the end the signing was a formality, because as soon as I knew that my body would allow me to continue playing, there was always the will of both parties to continue together. It was just the timing of various situations that delayed this signing.
“The very close relationship between myself and Juventus goes beyond everything else. I had absolutely no doubts that I would remain here.”
Chiellini will return to Turin with a familiar face, as Max Allegri is back two years after being sacked, with Maurizio Sarri and Andrea Pirlo not managing more than one season.
“We did cross paths and had a good joke, as we are both from Livorno. I am happy to see him again, he gave me and everyone a great deal. I kept in contact with the lads, they told me he’s really fired up for the start of the season and I’m convinced he is the right man to take this team back to the top and create a new cycle.
“I am here to give my contribution, above all on the field, but off it too.”
Italy showed the way forward for Serie A sides too with their approach under Roberto Mancini at Euro 2020 and Chiellini wants to bring those sensations to Turin.
“There is great satisfaction and I believe at a certain age you can enjoy these beautiful moments even more. You realise just how much they mean and how difficult they are.
“I think that carefree, joyful, happy way of playing that Italy had at the Euros was a fundamental ingredient that we must carry on into this Juventus side. It’s fundamental to create that atmosphere of it being a pleasure to spend time together, that was one of the secrets of our Italy success.”
It is a two-year contract to June 2023, because Chiellini wants to continue his career until the World Cup, which is scheduled for November and December 2022.
“The World Cup is just over a year away, so we’ll see. I always want to enjoy every moment and to think of the present. If I am fortunate enough to be in good shape and able to participate in the World Cup, then I’ll be happy. If I don’t, then I’ll be happy anyway.
“I’ve learned over the last few years that the only secret is to live in the moment and without thinking of faraway objectives.
“Now we need to get the engine going again after these few weeks when I needed time to recover, then we’ll take it one week at a time, game by game, and see where we end up.”
«Un passaggio importante della mia vita. Sono arrivato che ero un ragazzo, adesso mi sto godendo ogni istante. Voglio aiutare la Juve a vincere altri titoli»
Parola di Giorgio @chiellini https://t.co/qGmjrjmsqA#Chiellini2023 pic.twitter.com/Th4amLQJLh
— Juventus TV (@JuventusTV) August 2, 2021