This Wednesday, Italian record champions Juventus obligatorily opened the season with a test match between the senior team and youngsters – in front of over 20,000 fans at the Allianz Stadium. Afterwards – apart from a small loud tumult of the Juve fans regarding a recently traded commitment by Romelu Lukaku – autographs were of course also diligently signed by the pros.
This is where Leonardo Bonucci, the long-time defender who was recently sidelined, showed himself. The now 36-year-old central defender with the experience of 431 Serie A games (32 goals), 84 Champions League appearances (three goals) and 121 international matches for the Squadra Azzurra (eight goals) was coached by Massimiliano despite a one-year remaining contract Allegri banned from the US tour and all friendlies.
In short: Juve no longer plans with the deserved warrior.
Bonucci apparently saw that himself, as an Instagram post posted in the evening suggests. Here the 2021 European champion writes about the old lady and the fans: “Here I learned a lot, fought hard and dreamed a lot. More than I ever thought. Thank you Juventini – from the first to the last day.” He described the club, with which he won eight Scudettos and four Coppa Italia, as a dear home and something he will never be able to forget.
By the way, the 2021 European champion is reportedly not thinking about quitting. Rather, the veteran is associated with a move to relegated and Series B team Sampdoria Genoa (coach there is ex-teammate Andrea Pirlo) or Champions League participants Lazio Rome. After his training station at Inter Milan, FBC Treviso, AC Pisa, AS Bari, Juventus and his short and quickly revised Milan detour in 2017/18 with a return to Juve, it would be his eighth station as a professional footballer.
