CHIELLINI & BONUCCI

“SEGUENDO LA TRADIZIONE DI UN GRANDE MAESTRO @FABIOCANNAVARO” @CHIELLINI

CHIELLINI AND BONUCCI

THE HEART OF THE AZZURRI

“THE KEY WAS ALWAYS TO PLAY FOOTBALL AND ENJOY OURSELVES”

FOLLOWING LEONARDO BONUCCI AND GIORGIO CHIELLINI’S STELLAR PERFORMANCES AT EURO 2020, MARCO D’ONOFRIO DISCUSSES HOW THE AZZURRI’S VETERAN DYNAMIC DEFENSIVE DUO HELPED ITALY WIN THEIR FIRST EUROPEAN CHAMPIONSHIP SINCE 1968

hen Leonardo Bonucci was snapped up by Juventus on

WJuly 1, 2010 from Bari in a deal worth €15.5m, Giorgio Chiellini had been with the Bianconeri for five seasons already. The Old Lady had just finished a disappointing seventh place in the Serie A standings and were looking to make significant steps forward. The 2010-11 season didn’t go much better for Juventus, but in January they managed to sign Andrea Barzagli, which eventually helped turn the club’s fortunes around. Antonio Conte was named head coach ahead of the 2011-2012 campaign and he quickly put into place the Barzagli-Bonucci-Chiellini defensive partnership known affectionately as the BBC. Cesare Prandelli’s Italy side would take full advantage of Juve’s success, as the tactician opted to start Bonucci and Chiellini in the group stage games of Euro 2012, after Barzagli suffered an injury prior to the tournament. The veteran would eventually return though to earn a place in Prandelli’s starting XI alongside both Bonucci and Chiellini. Italy went all the way to the final, before losing 4-0 to Spain. Chiellini only managed to play 20 minutes in the final before being replaced by Federico Balzaretti, as the defender was dealing with a thigh injury that he had picked up earlier in the competition. Although Bonucci briefly left for Milan at the start of the 2017-18 season and Barzagli retired at the end of the following campaign, the BBC were a massive part in the rebuilding of Juventus and their nine successive Scudetti between 2012 and 2020. Much like Juve back in 2010, the Azzurri were also a side devoid of any ideas and struggling to match the successes of their historical past when Roberto Mancini was named head coach on May 18, 2018. The country had just failed to qualify for the World Cup and were going through an identity crisis before Mancini arrived and changed everything. After Italy’s 0-0 draw against Sweden that saw them eliminated from the World Cup before the tournament had even started, Chiellini announced he would be retiring from international football along with a generation of greats that included Barzagli, Gianluigi Buffon and Daniele De Rossi. “I don’t know if Italy will go again with Chiellini, the team will start again with a lot of guys born in the 1990s,” the experienced defender said immediately after the match. “In the end, we deserved to go out.” Mancini managed to convince Chiellini that his country still needed him though and that he could play a valuable part in helping to mold the

2020 EURO CHAMPIONS THE FUTURE OF THE AZZURRI

WITH THOUGHTS ALREADY TURNING TOWARDS NEXT YEAR’S WORLD CUP IN QATAR, MARCO D’ONOFRIO TAKES A GLIMPSE INTO WHAT THE FUTURE OF THE AZZURRI DEFENCE WILL LOOK LIKE

Alessandro Bastoni is an important asset to the future of the Azzurri

“NOI CONTINUIAMO A MANGIARE PASTASCIUTTA… E VOI?” @BONUCCI_LEO19

future of the Azzurri. The rest is history. With Chiellini and Bonucci remaining in the heart of defence for Mancini’s side, the Azzurri have been on a magical ride that has seen them pull off a 34-game unbeaten run stretching back to September 10, 2018, when they last lost against Portugal in the UEFA Nations League. Mancini had not only persuaded Chiellini to stay, he also managed to make a team that had reached rock bottom just months before believe they could actually win a major tournament. “At the beginning, when he told us to have in our minds the idea of winning the Euros, we thought he was crazy,” Chiellini has revealed. As absurd as the idea sounded, Mancini really did believe that he had the men at his disposal to make it happen. His side was one that mixed veterans like Bonucci and Chiellini with young stars like Federico Chiesa and Nicolo Barella. Not only did Bonucci and Chiellini bring experience on the pitch, but their calmness off it was motivational. Who could ever forget the image of Chiellini smiling from ear to ear during the coin toss prior to the penalty shootout in the Euro 2020 semi-finals against Spain? Ahead of one of the biggest moments of his career, the 36-year-old looked to be having the time of his life. The same could not be said of his counterpart Jordi Alba, who looked as serious as ever. Chiellini stood joking as Alba continued to be unamused, perhaps even intimidated. “We had to say which side to take the penalties and he made a mistake in the decision, I made him notice jokingly,” Chiellini said with regard to the interaction between the two. Italy went on to score four of five penalties, with Bonucci contributing from the spot to help his team advance to the final against England. Bonucci had no issues stepping up and burying a penalty against England at Wembley either. While it all worked out in the end, Azzurri fans were understandably concerned about whether Chiellini’s body would hold up for the duration of the tournament. He only managed to appear in 17 Serie A games for Juventus last season and was forced out of Italy’s second fixture of Euro 2020 against Switzerland in just the 24th minute. Flashes of the 2012 tournament started to appear in supporters’ minds as they wondered whether Chiellini had possibly played his last game. Lazio’s Francesco Acerbi stepped up admirably to fill the void and help the Azzurri navigate Although fans of the Azzurri continue to gush over the performances of Leonardo Bonucci and Giorgio Chiellini this summer, the reality is that the two of them have a combined age of 70. The defensive duo have been brilliant for club and country, but both Juventus and Italy need to start preparing for the future as well. While Roberto Mancini had the 33-year-old Francesco Acerbi come in to replace Chiellini when he went down against Switzerland, the Azzurri coach still has an eye towards who could potentially be his dynamic duo’s successors. The tactician not only ensured Inter’s 22-yearold centre-back Alessandro Bastoni gained some invaluable experience by being included in the squad, but he also went as far as to give him a start as well. In Italy’s final group stage game against Wales, Bastoni had the opportunity to play alongside Bonucci and helped the Azzurri keep a clean sheet. That was a wonderful opportunity that will certainly help him in high-pressure situations going forward. It’s easy to think that Bastoni’s inclusion may have come at the cost of Alessio Romagnoli’s exclusion, but the 26-year-old wasn’t even named in Mancini’s 33-man preliminary squad. Romagnoli may be the captain of Milan, but he often struggled to get into Stefano Pioli’s starting XI and only managed to start in 21 league games for the Rossoneri last year. Despite his recent woes though, he could be a stalwart for both club and country if he manages to find his peak form again. The 25-year-old Gianluca Mancini was included in the preliminary squad, but was cut prior to the start of the tournament in favour of Atalanta’s Rafael Toloi. While the Roma defender was undoubtedly left heartbroken, he should still have a bright future ahead of him. The Azzurri have a plethora of candidates potentially capable of eventually replacing Bonucci and Chiellini, but only time will tell who will be Italy’s next great centre-back.

Bonucci and Chiellini celebrate over lunch.

GREAT ITALIAN DEFENSIVE PARTNERSHIPS OF THE PAST

MARCO D’ONOFRIO GOES BACK IN TIME TO LOOK AT A COUPLE OF THE GREATEST AZZURRI DEFENSIVE PARTNERSHIPS IN HISTORY

Even in broken English, the emotion felt by Giorgio Chiellini moments after winning Euro 2020 was clear. “We feel inside to come in Wembley, it’s too difficult but I’m so happy, more than happy,” the captain said. “We’ve seen the image of [Fabio] Cannavaro and now we are lucky altogether.” Ingrained in his head was the image of the Azzurri’s last captain to win a trophy, also a brave centre-back capable of weathering even the most intense of storms, Fabio Cannavaro. The Italians entered the World Cup in 2006 with two of the best defenders in the world at the heart of their rear-guard, as Cannavaro lined up next to Milan’s Alessandro Nesta. The pair helped Italy keep a clean sheet against Ghana in the opening match, before Nesta suffered an injury in the final group game of the competition that would keep him out for the remainder of the tournament. Much like Francesco Acerbi did when Chiellini went down this past summer, Marco Materazzi stepped up to the plate and filled the void. With Materazzi playing beside Cannavaro, the Italians put on a defensive masterclass that is still talked about to this day. Materazzi not only contributed defensively, he also scored in the final to tie the game up against France, much like Bonucci did against England. The Inter legend would also go on to make history when he provoked Zinedine Zidane’s infamous headbutt in extra time. In 1994, Italy came painfully short of lifting the most important trophy on the planet, but they may have had their greatest defensive partnership ever. In the heart of Arrigo Sacchi’s defence were Milan icons Franco Baresi and Paolo Maldini. Baresi replaced Giuseppe Bergomi as captain of the Azzurri and nearly led them to the Promised Land, had it not been for an ill-fated penalty shootout against Brazil that the Italians still do not like to talk about.

Along with Cannavaro, Materazzi proved to be an integral peice of Italy’s 2006 glory The last time Italy lifted a major trophy, Fabio Cannavaro led the team from the back and went on to win the Ballon d’Or Leonardo Bonucci came up big at both ends of the pitch when his country needed him most

The 36-year-old Giorgio Chiellini was having the time of his life throughout the tournament

past Switzerland, Wales and Austria to reach the quarter-finals. However, with Romelu Lukaku and Belgium on the horizon, Mancini knew he needed his captain back in the starting line-up. In a momentous return, Chiellini helped tame Lukaku as the Italians beat the Belgians for the second European Championship in a row, but this time it was to book their place in the semi-final. And when they were needed the most, Bonucci and Chiellini delivered. What they managed to accomplish in the final two games of the tournament against Spain and England is nothing short of remarkable. The duo not only put on a clinic defensively, they managed to contribute offensively as well. Chiellini rolled back the years to make inspirational runs forward, while Bonucci found the back of the net in the final when his country had their backs up against the wall in hostile territory. The pair had cemented their legacies in Turin long ago, but they both became heroes to an entire nation this summer. “The key was always to play football and enjoy ourselves,” Chiellini declared after winning the tournament. Enjoy themselves they did.

Roberto Mancini managed to convince Giorgio Chiellini to continue playing with the Azzurri and was rewarded for his efforts