Saturday 10th July 2021
The “Chiellini” phenomenon
The monster you love and hate
By Tobias Nordmann
Anyone who loves beautiful football should actually hate Giorgio Chiellini. Because Chiellini mostly cares about destroying the magic of the offensive. But this chiellini is a phenomenon. In his own way, an artist who is finally about to be crowned in the European Championship finals.
There are defenders like Sergio Ramos. When you run up to this bully as a striker, there are only two options: shot or pain (this is actually a little bit pointed). And there are defenders like Giorgio Chiellini. As a striker, when you run up to this old man (sorry!) You get smiled at. Friendly but freezing. No chance in a duel. But Chiellini is not a bully. The 36-year-old compliments his opponents with the ball. Confident and merciless. And the next victim of his friendly separation work has already been chosen. It’s called Harry Kane. He is the captain of England’s national soccer team and one of the best strikers in the world. Next to Robert Lewandowski, next to Erling Haaland and next to Romelu Lukaku.
Chiellini has already politely bid farewell to the Belgian at this European Football Championship. In the quarter-finals (2: 1) he didn’t allow the fast and beefy attacker to have any nice moments. Of course, Chiellini did not do this alone. He worked on the 28-year-old together with Leonardo Bonucci. They did that in perfect harmony. Learned for years in the Italian national team and at Juventus Turin. The 34-year-old Bonucci is the elegant head of defense: robust in a duel, good in structure, with strong technology. Chiellini is not. He’s not a builder, he’s a driver. He doesn’t have strong technique, which is solid at best. But he is tough and uncompromising like no other. Bonucci is the organizer, Chiellini the leader. The monster. The man for the mentality. The captain.
When Jordi Alba, the boss of the Spaniards, tried in the semifinals to pull the penalty shoot-out to the side of his own fans, Chiellini stepped in. The matter was finally arranged differently. The moments of the page selection became legend on Tuesday evening. The laughing, smirking and slapping Chiellini against the embarrassed Alba. Victory in the “Mind Games”, victory on penalties. Italy wasn’t the better team and still won 4-2. Italy had suffered, Spain was desperate. Sometimes to yourself and sometimes to Chiellini and Bonucci. And to all the other Italians who play so furiously at this European Championship.
A remarkable reinvention
In fact, the team of coach Roberto Mancini is rewriting the history of the “Squadra Azzurra” in a remarkable way. The approach is no longer constructive, but constructive. The Italians play forward with courage and passion. Simple, quick and straightforward. Probably the team actually plays the most beautiful football of the tournament so far. And who hasn’t made a name for themselves: the little magical foot Lorenzo Insigne, for example. Or the determined Federico Chiesa. Manuel Locatelli and Leonardo Spinazzola were celebrated. Only goal sovereign Ciro Immobile received some criticism because he is not a goal sovereign at this EM. The greatest hymns, however, are sung on Bonucci and Chiellini. Especially on Chiellini.
They are sung by our RTL / ntv expert Lothar Matthäus, among others. He not only sees the face of the tournament in the 36-year-old, but also the outstanding player: “He brought something into the European Championship that has a charm. Not just the qualities of how to play defensively, how to fight opponents and how you can achieve a lot with little talent. ” In fact, Chiellini is not the type to flatter the ball with the sole. Chiellini doesn’t dribble out an opponent, he duels him away. But the old man is no longer the type “who can really only knock,” as Matthew says of the Italian’s earlier days. Now he’s also playing football quite well. Not as good as his neighbor Bonucci, of course. He won’t either.
Because even if Chiellini plays exceptionally well, his career is on the way to the end. And she’s about to be crowned. At last. For almost two decades, since November 17, 2004, he has been fighting for a big title. At the 2006 World Cup triumph in Germany, he was not part of the squad. Chiellini was often close to the big goal, but (so far) never achieved it. Above all, the 0: 4 against Spain in the European Championship final in 2012 remained painful in his memory and aroused the driven desire to make amends. “It will be my last tournament with the national team,” said Chiellini about his time in the national jersey before the European Championship. He has slipped it on 111 times so far. The 112th time, it will be so far on Sunday evening in the final at Wembley against England, could be the most beautiful time. At the most beautiful moment of his international career.
“Know Bonucci better than my wife”
And indeed it will be another game for Chiellini. For the man who is so extroverted on the square and who also lives a rather quiet life. Not much is known about the Chiellini guy. He has a university degree in economics. He vehemently positions himself against any form of racism. But otherwise? He’s not a guy for the hypocritical glittering world on Instagram. He doesn’t have to put his body in the limelight on a regular basis, he doesn’t need to post swanky photos and he doesn’t embarrass himself with fashionable highlights. The final against England will be a game for him and for his brilliant partner Bonucci. The two “Senators”, as they are called in Italy, have played over 300 games together for Juve and Italy. Chiellini says: “I know Bonucci better than my wife.” You can almost believe him.
Is Wembley the place, the last great battle of the two who once formed the legendary Italian BBC with Andrea Barzagli? Possible. Chiellini is currently without a club. His contract with Juventus expired on June 30th. An extension should only be a matter of form. And what about Italy? Mancini would love to keep the boss and develop the team around him. But he also knows: A desperately longed-for triumph can quickly lead to a 36-year-old resigning. What is still to come after all? The world title in Qatar next winter? “At almost 37 years of age, he is also indispensable for future plans,” wrote the “Corriere dello Sport”. Chiellini is “the infinite captain.”
.