At 6:07 p.m. on a cold, blustery Saturday in central Ohio, Giorgio Chiellini reached an intersection that no professional athlete can avoid.
The 39-year-old centre-back, who has played for Major League Soccer side Los Angeles FC since July 2022, must now decide whether to continue a career that has brought numerous team and personal honors for Juventus and Italy.
Chiellini's contract expired when the host Columbus Crew defeated LAFC 2-1 to win the 2023 MLS Cup. A win would have given the veteran his second straight MLS Cup victory, along with nine Serie A titles for Juventus and Italy's 2020 European Championship.
“The club is open to me and gave me complete freedom to decide, but I still have my doubts. I have to understand what to follow, if it is my head, if it is my heart, if it is my leg,” said Chiellini, referring to a torn anterior cruciate ligament in his right knee, which he injured in 2018. to get away and enjoy the family for two or three days. I will go back to Italy and then I will make a final decision.”
But if Chiellini decides not to return for a 25th professional season, he can build on the foundation he started laying when he arrived in California. Chiellini wants to take his passion for football from the field to the executive suites. That goal was a major motivation for the defender to come to MLS and join LAFC.
“Definitely, football is my world and my future,” he says. “Honestly, I never think of a life without anything related to football. I was also interested in the sports world and the American side's point of view.”
Chiellini has the credibility to pursue a business career. He obtained his bachelor's degree in economics and commerce from the University of Turin in 2010 and obtained his master's degree in business administration there in 2017, graduating with honors.
“I grew up wanting to go to college,” says Chiellini, who, like his father, wanted to study medicine before football became a full-time job. “I was alone. I was reading a lot of books. I spent a lot of time playing PlayStation or sleeping in the afternoon or something. Why can't I use this time to continue studying?
“It was also a challenge and I like a challenge. I want to challenge myself every day to improve myself.”
But Chiellini had to organize his academic program, including his exams, around training and playing. When he had to miss classes, the university provided Chiellini with private tutors. The defender even studied during team flights, arousing the curiosity of his teammates.
“In the beginning, people around me said, 'What are you doing?'” Chiellini says. “But after a few times it became normal.”
The same year that Chiellini completed his master's degree, his brother Claudio announced that the defender wanted to play in the United States. Claudio, who works as Juventus' loan coordinator, met Will Kuntz, LAFC's assistant general manager, at a networking event. Kuntz was preparing LAFC to take the field for its inaugural season in 2018.
“I thought this was a really exciting way to potentially bring in some Italian prospects who want to develop with us and create a pathway,” said Kuntz, now general manager of Los Angeles Galaxy. 'Claudio said, 'I think my brother might want to come and play for your club when he finishes playing in Europe.' I thought, 'Well, that's probably going to be a long time.' “
When North Macedonia eliminated Italy from World Cup qualifying in March 2022, that moment had arrived. Kuntz held a Zoom meeting with John Thorrington, LAFC's vice president of football operations, and Steve Cherundolo, the manager.
“I went to Steve and John and said, 'Listen guys, I don't know if this is real, but this is the latest for a reason,'” Kuntz says. “Steve said, 'Okay, we have to figure this out.'”
Claudio Chiellini put Cherundolo in touch with his brother, who watched LAFC games and texted Cherundolo about it. Team officials responded by watching Chiellini's last games with Juventus and Italy. “Giorgio was so clear about what he was looking for,” says Kuntz. “Given his status at the club and his position with the Italian national team, it was a relatively easy conversation to release him from his contract.”
Not even the MLS salary cap could deter the veteran defender. “We said, 'We only have so much and it's a fraction of what you've made your entire career,'” Kuntz says. “He said, 'No, this is great.' It was a really special example of how all the stars aligned.”
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LAFC not only got a world-class defender, but also an enthusiastic student whose aptitude for sports business was “off the charts,” Kuntz says. “He was very intentional, not only in everything he did, but in the way he talked about the game and the business of the game, his understanding of how contracts worked and how the league was structured. He said he wanted to continue working on the club side when he was done.”
That meant conversations with club officials and members of LAFC's large ownership group, including Alibaba founder Joseph Tsai, Mandalay Entertainment CEO Peter Guber and NBA Hall of Famer Magic Johnson.
Chiellini wants to know “why people invested in football ten years ago, how to decide to build a stadium or facilities, how to invest $15 million, how to make these key decisions.” He also wants to “know what many owners have done in their past lives… Just knowing the story of these people can help you open your mind to some ideas in the future. Ultimately, a lot of information helps you get new ideas, not just copy someone else.”
Chiellini quickly learned the difference between the American and European approaches to the sports business. “First of all, it's much more entertainment than life or death (in America),” he says. “There is a lot to do for the family. You're not just there for 90 minutes. You could be there for three hours, six hours. You can spend the whole day close to the stadium or arena to live a different experience. That's definitely the biggest difference I found in Italy.”
Chiellini's potential excites Thorrington. “Every time he deals with myself and ownership,” he said, “it is clear that he has the intellectual strength and ability to be of great value to any club once he finishes playing.”
That intellectual horsepower also had a major impact on the field. “He always analyzes everything,” says LAFC right back Ryan Hollingshead. “He sees the game in such a unique way that he always has a thought about it. You just pick up on so many of these little nuances. Those little details add up to so much during every game and throughout the season.”
Chiellini even fundamentally changed Hollingshead's approach. “In the past, not every play was do or die,” he says. “If I place my foot one meter to the right or to the left, what difference does it make? But when you start to dissect the game, it makes sure you're in the right place at the right times. The whole game changes because of one little game, one little garden.
“In the 10 years I've been playing professionally, he's been the most active vocal player I've ever played with in trying to break down the game in that way. It was just so much fun to watch.”
Cherundolo, who played for Hannover 96 for 15 seasons and represented the United States at two World Cups, noted Chiellini's influence beyond technical analysis. “He finds a very good balance between finding the right words at the right times and communicating with the group, both non-verbally and verbally,” says Cherundolo. “He's just a natural leader and a presence in the locker room that every team needs, but not every team needs.”
For his part, Chiellini believes that MLS has a promising future, especially after Lionel Messi joined Inter Miami. “The Messi deal was, I think, a huge change and a huge boost for football in the US,” he says. “It's something you could compare to the arrival of (David) Beckham. All stadiums are busy, almost 20,000, 25,000 per match. It hasn't yet reached a level in Europe of (NFL) or other sports or sports where you get 40,000, 50,000, 70,000. But it is growing very, very quickly and in a sustainable and solid way. This is important.
“I think now, with the Copa America, the Club World Cup and the World Cup just around the corner, it's a good cycle that we have to use to improve football in the US. But the good thing about the competition is that the rules are very flexible. It's one of the few leagues around the world that can really change a lot of things from season to season. That's a good thing, because it's a league that now needs to take advantage and change in order to grow.”
Even if Chiellini decides to play next season, a position on the sidelines or in the boardroom seems inevitable. “I know Juventus want him,” says Hollingshead. 'I know they are going to try to get him an offer to come back to Italy. I don't know in what role. But if he isn't in some coaching, GM or recruiting role, something would just be a disservice. I know that is his desire. I know he's looking forward to that and it will be a lot of fun to follow along.
“But for now, he's still playing at a very high level and man, he's so crucial to our team that we can't let him go just yet.”