L'Italo-Americano

THURSDAY, AUGUST 8, 2024 www.italoamericano.org 26 L'Italo-Americano T his time the tick- e t i s o n e - w a y : L o s A n g e l e s – Turin. Giorgio C h i e l l i n i ' s A m e r i c a n a d v e n t u r e c o n - c l u d e s , h a v i n g b e e n w e l - c o m e d b y L o s A n g e l e s F C two years ago. Initially, the f o r m e r J u v e n t u s p l a y e r served as a defender and, fol- lowing his official retirement l a s t D e c e m b e r 1 2 t h , a s a Player Development Coach for the past six months. The former Italian captain used his Instagram to say goodbye and thank the sports family that welcomed him in California: "It's not easy to f i n d t h e r i g h t w o r d s t o express my feelings today. A m i x o f e m o t i o n s f i l l s m y heart, but I really want to thank the entire LAFC fami- ly. You welcomed and helped me and my family from the very first day, making our move easier. I was deeply i n v o l v e d i n t h e c l u b a n d loved every single moment of the last two years. We discov- ered and embraced new cul- t u r e s , b u i l t s o m e l i f e l o n g friendships, and I now know that I have a second home in California. Thank you, LAFC. Thank you, LA. This is not a goodbye but just a see you later." " I n S e p t e m b e r , I w i l l return to Turin, which is my h o m e , b u t i t w a s a f a m i l y decision. I have a contract as an ambassador with Juven- tus, the team of my career, although it's too early to talk about my future. I need to continue learning and gather energy to restart at my best," a n n o u n c e d C h i e l l i n i , w h o r e t i r e d f r o m p r o f e s s i o n a l soccer last December after two seasons from 2022 to 2023. Chiellini concluded his extraordinary 22-year career after helping lead LAFC to the MLS Cup final, retiring as one of the most decorated and respected defenders in world soccer. Chiellini, 39, arrived in L o s A n g e l e s o n J u n e 1 3 , 2022, after a long career with Juventus FC, where he spent nearly 18 years leading the team to win nine consecutive Serie A titles from 2011 to 2020. "We were grateful to Giorgio for playing the last 18 months of his career with LAFC," said LAFC Co-Presi- dent and GM John Thor- rington. "During this peri- od, he proved to be an asset for LAFC in many ways, and we are thrilled to have had with us a truly brilliant soc- c e r m i n d , a n i n c r e d i b l e leader, and an even better person in our staff for the following season." Chiellini began his career at the local club AS Livorno at the age of six, working his way through the youth ranks of Livorno and the national youth teams. He made his professional debut at 16 in 2 0 0 1 , a m a s s i n g 6 2 t o t a l appearances with Livorno b e f o r e m o v i n g t o A C F Fiorentina in 2004, debut- ing in Serie A. After one season with Fiorentina, he transferred to Juventus. He wore the Italian national team jersey 117 times, help- ing lead the Azzurri to the 2 0 2 0 E u r o p e a n C h a m p i - o n s h i p , w h e r e h e w a s a w a r d e d d e f e n d e r o f t h e t o u r n a m e n t . T h e f o r m e r Juventus defender partici- pated with Italy in the 2010 and 2014 FIFA World Cups, scoring a total of eight goals and four assists during his national team tenure. G i o r g i o , t w o y e a r s with LAFC, on and off the field. What do you take back to Italy from this experience in the USA? It was a wonderful experi- ence that allowed my family and me to get to know a new culture, or rather, new cul- tures within a challenging yet fascinating city like Los A n g e l e s . F r o m t h e f i e l d , besides an important cup, I'll take back with me many friendships, many moments spent together that bound me to this club and this city for life. W h a t w a s t h e m o s t beautiful moment you experienced with LAFC? For the club, definitely winning the MLS Cup. Per- sonally, the journey of the t w o y e a r s , w i t h t h e l a s t months spent daily along- side all branches of the orga- nization, was full of emotion a n d I h o p e t o b e r e m e m - bered more for the person I am than the player, which was my goal from the begin- ning. What message would you like to leave? Please continue to watch soccer, continue to play soc- cer and continue to live soc- cer everyday. Did you follow other t y p i c a l l y A m e r i c a n sports (baseball, basket- ball, and hockey), even l i v e a t t h e s t a d i u m , while you were here? If so, which ones did you like the most? I w a t c h e d a l m o s t a l l sports, but as a big basket- ball fan and Lakers support- er, I couldn't be happier. I saw many games and real- ized one of my life's dreams, w a t c h i n g a L a k e r s g a m e courtside. Last February, I even did a jersey swap with player Austin Reaves before the Lakers vs. Pistons game. D u r i n g E u r o 2 0 2 4 , you were a commenta- tor for FOX. Your reac- tion after Italy scored a g a i n s t C r o a t i a i n t h e 98th minute went viral. How did this collabora- tion come about? T h e y c a l l e d m e i n t h e s p r i n g . I t w a s a f u n a n d stimulating experience. I wanted to do something that would make many people in A m e r i c a u n d e r s t a n d h o w m u c h I c a r e a b o u t t h i s moment and how well I've been, and I think I achieved that. It was also an honor to participate in the Common Goal and FOX Sports initia- tive supporting young ath- letes' mental health. Creat- i n g s a f e s p a c e s a n d p r o m o t i n g m e n t a l w e l l - being is as crucial as physi- cal training. W h a t w a s t h e m o s t " A m e r i c a n " t h i n g y o u did? Hiking in the hills of LA, Halloween with my family, and camping with the fami- l i e s f r o m m y d a u g h t e r ' s school. What struck you the m o s t ( a n d t h e l e a s t ) about Los Angeles? The diversity, inclusion, and opportunities that Los Angeles offers every day. The use of guns has always frightened me, and a couple of situations where it hap- pened nearby didn't make me feel at ease. W h i c h p l a c e i n t h e USA did you visit as a tourist that you particu- larly liked? Santa Barbara and San Diego are really nice places to visit. New York always holds a special place in my heart. SILVIA NITTOLI Giorgio Chiellini bids farewell to Los Angeles Chiellini says goodbye to his fans and supporters, after two years in California. Bottom left, Giorgio celebrates with his LAFC teammates (Courtesy of LAFC) LOS ANGELES ITALIAN COMMUNITY

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