Defender Leonardo Bonucci has announced he will retire from playing professional football when his current contract with Juventus expires at the end of next season.
The 36-year-old has had a truly illustrious career. He rose through the youth ranks at Inter Milan and spent time on loan with Treviso and AC Pisa, and after a season-long spell with Bari, he signed for Juventus in 2010 for just over €15 million. He left the club in 2017 to play for AC Milan but returned the following year.
Including both spells, Bonucci has worn the black-and-white of Juventus on exactly 500 occasions so far, helping them win eight Scudettos, four Italian Cups and five Italian Super Cups. He has also earned 120 caps for his country, winning Euro 2020 with the Azzurri.
“When I stop playing next year, it will be the end of a defensive era — a way of defending Italian style,” the veteran centre-back told the club’s YouTube channel.
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