Legendary Juventus defender, Giorgio Chiellini, said goodbye to teammates and fans in a rather emotional match at Allianz Arena.
Fans gave him a deserving standing ovation as he walked out of the pitch in the last 17th minute of his final game in Juventus after playing for the Italian club for 17 seasons.
Before walking out, he handed the captain’s armband to a visibly distraught Paulo Dybala - who was playing his last home game in the 2 - 2 draw with Lazio.
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The 37-year-old Italian gave his teammates warm embraces as their competitors, Lazio, joined in to cheer him.
Chiellini had recently hinted he was leaving Juventus this summer after 17 seasons at the club – with Major League Soccer (MLS) in the United States being his rumored destination.
By the time Chiellini was substituted, Juventus striker Dusan Vlahovic had already scored the first goal from Álvaro Morata’s assist, making his club regain control of the nostalgic match.
Juventus were guaranteed to finish fourth, while Lazio were keen on securing their Europa League place before the final round of Serie A, which AC Milan are currently leading with 83 points.
With the hosts holding on to their lead, Juventus manager, Massimiliano Allegri, took Dybala off the match with 12 minutes of play left, allowing him his moment of applause before his last game in the Italian side.
“Tonight was a wonderful evening, full of emotions,” Allegri stated. “The evening of Chiellini and Dybala. A few videos of Chiellini should be sent to our training ground to show how he applies himself.”
The 28-year old Argentine joined Juventus in 2015 and could not hold back his tears as fans celebrated him.