SUMMARY
- Giorgio Chiellini is considered one of the best defenders in soccer.
- Previously, Giorgio Chiellini talked about how to defend against Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi.
The former Italy international center-back Giorgio Chiellini is regarded as one of the best defenders to embrace the game at the highest level. The 39-year-old made his international debut for Italy in November 2004 and played a total of 117 matches for his country on the international stage.
Giorgio Chiellini has something to say about defending against two of the most potent forward players. The Italian veteran reportedly asserted, “How to defend against Ronaldo? Don’t give him space. How to defend against Messi? Just pray.” From Chiellini’s statement, it seems like he had a method to defend against CR7 but wasn’t sure how to stop Leo.
I guess the prayers worked
— Goatnaldo 𓃵 (@7El_Bicho) March 2, 2024
However, the stats show that defending against Ronaldo, Chiellini has conceded nine goals. While against Messi, he hasn’t even conceded a single one. Fans have reacted to the former defender’s statement. A follower ironically stated, “I guess the prayers worked”. Another one inflicted, “He prayed very hard”. “Chiellini just mocked Messi,” one of the fans stated.
Chiellini played for some of the top clubs in Europe. The center-back represented the Seria A giants Juventus in a total of 561 matches. Apart from his defensive contributions, he also managed to score 36 goals for the club. He also played for ACF Fiorentina in Seria A. Chiellini’s last club was the USA-based Los Angeles FC in the MLS.
Giorgio Chiellini settles the GOAT debate
In a one-on-one rapid-fire question round with ‘ESPN’, Giorgio Chiellini was asked a string of questions. However, the defender did come across a question regarding Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi. When asked to pick between CR7 and Leo, the former LA FC player quickly replied, “Ronaldo”.
Over the years, there has been a withstanding debate on who is a better player between Ronaldo and Messi. However, it seemed like Giorgio Chiellini had his answer quite sorted out regarding the matter. The 39-year-old has played alongside CR7 at Juventus, where the duo shared the dressing room for about three seasons together.
Giorgio Chiellini’s soccer career so far
At the youth level, Chiellini started while playing for Italy’s under-15 side. He then went on to represent the country’s youth teams until the under-21 stage before getting his call-up to the senior squad of Italy just nine months after his stint with the under-21s.
In addition to playing the highest number of games for Juventus in his career, the 39-year-old played another sum of 42 matches for ACF Fiorentina, 62 games for AS Livorno, and a further 45 matches for LA FC in MLS. He joined his last club in the USA, Los Angeles on a free transfer from Juventus in July 2022.
Overall, Giorgio Chiellini had a pretty satisfying career, both at the club and on the international stage. He is often named alongside some of the toughest defenders of the last two decades. He was also a crucial part of Italy’s squad in two FIFA World Cup campaigns in 2010 and 2014, respectively.