Italy men’s football team captain Giorgio Chiellini has confirmed that he will retire from international football following the ‘Finalissima’ against Argentina at Wembley Stadium.
The Juventus skipper who led Azzurri to Euro 2020 glory last summer, will depart the national team following their clash with CONMEBOL Copa America 2021 champions Argentina on June 1. Chiellini would have hoped to play FIFA World Cup one last time but Italy’s failure to qualify for Qatar 2022 means he will now bow out at iconic Wembley instead.
Speaking after Juventus’ 2-1 win over Sassuolo in the Serie A on Monday, the veteran defender confirmed that he hopes to be available for the game in London – and that if so, he intends for it to be his last dance.
“If I’m fine, I’ll play and say goodbye to the national team at Wembley, where I reached the peak of my career,” he told DAZN, as per goal.com.
“It would be great to say goodbye to the Azzurri shirt with a celebratory match like the one with Argentina. For the national team, it will be the last time,” he added.
This showpiece encounter ‘Finalissima’ will give fans the chance to watch the current champions of the world’s two best footballing continents contest the coveted CONMEBOL-UEFA Cup of Champions.
(Inputs from ANI)