Italy no longer has the big football stars like it did two or three decades ago, but one of the few who belonged to the elite of world football over the past 15 years has been Leonardo Bonucci.One of the best center-backs of this century, he was known for his defensive toughness, excellent passing skills, great vision, and a rebellious temperament.A legend at Juventus, he surprised everyone with his decision to join AC Milan and shocked even more when he returned to Turin a year later. Juventus eventually let him go a second time, mutually terminating his contract, and after spending a year with Union Berlin and Fenerbahce, he hung up his boots. In an in-depth interview with Sky, he recalled some of the most interesting moments of his career.🚨At 37 years old, Leonardo Bonucci is set to retire from football👑• 700 club matches played• 121 matches played with the Azzurri• 9x Serie A winner🏆• 5x Coppa Italia winner🏆• 5x Supercoppa winner🏆• Euro Champion🏆• 1x Footballer of the year🏆Grazie Leo💙 pic.twitter.com/p8NBLzXaoU— AzzurriXtra🇮🇹 (@XtraAzzurri) May 26, 2024 On his first departure from Juventus…“I left for AC Milan because of a famous argument with Allegri. There was a strange atmosphere between me, the coach, and the club… There was no longer any ‘flow of energy’. I was the only one who could resolve it. The club decided, Allegri got a new contract after the Champions League, and we all agreed that our paths should separate. I could have stayed, but it would have been very difficult to restore things to how they once were. I wanted to stay close to home because of my son’s heart problems. I didn’t like the idea of going abroad since it’s always a risk. I chose Milan because they were starting a new cycle at the time. Mirabelli and Fassone brought in many new players, I think 12 in total.”De Gea shines as Fonseca blasts his players for a penalty circus they madeIt is well known that he was a long-time target of Pep Guardiola, both at Bayern and City.“He called me two years in a row: in 2016 and 2017 when I went to Milan. In 2016, I didn’t even consider it because there was no chance that Juve would sell me. And I was happy there. But in 2017, Mirabelli and Montella called me and told me that I would be the leader and captain of a new project. I didn’t want to leave Italy. After I gave my word to Milan, offers came from Manchester City and Paris Saint-Germain. But that’s who I am, I value my word. These offers were financially better than Milan’s…”His time at Milan ended poorly.“At the end of the season, when everything fell apart, they told me: ‘There’s no place for you here anymore.’ That’s when I decided to return to Juventus. Over time, we grew closer again, and things worked better than before.”The coach who changed his career and life was Antonio Conte at Juventus.“My relationship with him was often traumatic. I remember starting training after my honeymoon, I wasn’t in the best shape, and I got cramps. That doesn’t happen often. Antonio is someone who convinces you of his ideas, wins your heart, and gets under your skin. He’s meticulous and careful. He always has a plan to win. He understood that football had changed. Look at his Napoli now and how different it is. With Spalletti, Kvaratskhelia played closer to the line; now, he cuts inside. The most important thing about Antonio Conte is that he always convinces players of his ideas, wherever he works.”##EDITORS_CHOICE##After Conte and Allegri, Bonucci was coached by Maurizio Sarri at Juventus, who was expected to win the Champions League with Cristiano Ronaldo in the squad.“When Ronaldo arrived, things changed. Allegri was at the end of his cycle, the pandemic began, and later Sarri came in, trying to figure out how to coach big stars… Ronaldo’s arrival was supposed to enhance an already strong team and bring the Champions League. That goal wasn’t achieved. Sarri struggled to fit into Juventus’ style. He came at the wrong time, before the pandemic. We needed a coach who would give us a few ideas and manage the entire group, like Conte and Allegri did. Many say that Sarri wasn’t worthy of Juventus, but I disagree. When you have Ronaldo, Higuain, Dybala, and Douglas Costa, not all of them can be on the field. It takes someone phenomenal to manage that. Ronaldo always had a special energy in the locker room, but in Sarri’s second season, he started to act more like an individual than a team player. He wanted freedom, and Sarri had certain limits.”He played against Messi and Ronaldo, but who was the toughest to defend against?“Honestly, the player who kept me up the night before the game was Duvan Zapata. A nightmare. Strong, powerful, agile…”Bonucci was asked who is difficult to mark between Lukaku and Osimhen”Romelu is physical and difficult to mark. With the Belgian you struggle less than with Osimhen, who never stays still in the same position and jumps three meters above the others. You can’t leave Victor an inch pic.twitter.com/0oc9kEhnI6— Derek Ceasar (@Esport070) October 7, 2024 The greatest moment in Bonucci’s career was winning the European Championship with Italy in 2021.“When a group of people works well together, results follow. The magic of the European Championship came from the atmosphere. The key moment was when we all went on vacation together to Sardinia. Around 40 families bonded, and we developed a sense of belonging. Mancini quickly figured out how to build a team and group. Gianluca Vialli was the crucial link in that chain.”He sees himself as a future coach and reveals what kind he would like to be.“From Conte, I learned more about tactics than from any other coach. In the last years of my career, Mancini opened my eyes to different perspectives on football with his idea of ‘5 channels.’ In Allegri’s first term, I saw how champions are treated. I hope to reach a level that combines their ideas and knowledge.”##NAJAVA_MECA_8389009##On today’s Juventus, he says:“The atmosphere has changed. Two years ago, opponents would fear us, but now they come to Turin thinking they can win. I think today’s players should try to adopt some of the attitude we had back then. Back then, the locker room had personalities like Buffon, Chiellini, Khedira, Alves, Matuidi, Tevez, Higuain, Dybala… But I like how Thiago Motta is working. He did well at Spezia, great in Bologna, and now he’s doing a fantastic job with Juventus’ young team. They are interesting to watch.”
