The great Italian centre-back Giorgio Chiellini celebrates his 40th birthday this Wednesday. Aside from being one of the finest defenders of his generation, he also provided football fans with endless entertainment during his playing career.
Chiellini spent the vast majority of his career with Juventus, playing in Turin for 18 years and becoming a stalwart at both club and international level.
He spent the final two seasons of his career with Los Angeles FC and played his final ever game of professional football in last year's MLS Cup final.
🚨🇮🇹 Italian legend Giorgio Chiellini has decided to retire from professional football with immediate effect.
One of the best centre backs of the last decade. Pure leadership, serial winner, top guy.
Good luck with your future, @Chiellini 💙👊🏻 pic.twitter.com/oS31HRsyuK— Fabrizio Romano (@FabrizioRomano) December 12, 2023
The writing appeared to be on the wall for Chiellini who had been hampered by injuries since his emphatic performances at Euro 2020.
Chiellini earned 117 caps for the Italian national team before he retired from international football last year, winning a European Championship medal at EURO 2020 as captain and a crucial member of the team's defence.
Despite winning the Euros, being the fifth most capped Italian of all time, and stepping away with nine Serie A winners' medals to his name, arguably his greatest legacy will be all of the memes he's provided us with over the years.
Giorgio Chiellini: The Meme King
One of the best things to come out of Euro 2020 was the Chiellini v Bukayo Saka meme. The defender committed a flagrant foul when Saka was through down the wing.
The internet did its work thereafter and it resulted in the birth of some great photoshops.
🗣: “I didn't expect to become the meme of the summer.”
[Chiellini / Tech Week - via: @ilbianconerocom] pic.twitter.com/1TRsc5bmtR— Bianconeri Zone (@BianconeriZone) September 24, 2021
It is what it is🤷♂️😂 #Chiellini #Saka #EURO2020 #itsnotcominghome #ItalyEngland #meme pic.twitter.com/aWb10Xfl6i
— Florian (@Florian_u_) July 12, 2021
bro these saka memes are to funny😭😭😭 pic.twitter.com/f4mqiR9G9k
— centrals (@centra1s) July 11, 2021
Nice Collection of #Chiellini pulls #saka #EURO2020 pic.twitter.com/LLhxCfNyPS
— José (@ardathddiska) July 12, 2021
Early in 2022, Chiellini provided us with another great meme, but a puzzling one. He adopted an unusual technique of firing up his teammates.
Juventus were facing Bologna and the game was scoreless at half-time. Some of Chiellini's teammates seemed a bit flabbergasted as he wagged his tongue at them.
A year ago today, Dybala watched on in horror as Chiellini did this: pic.twitter.com/jDPAipmWnt
— Enzooooo (@ViciniLo) April 16, 2023
Going back to 2014 now, Chiellini was on the wrong side of a Luis Suarez flesh wound. A fiery encounter took place at the World Cup between Italy and Uruguay.
Later on in his autobiography, Chiellini claimed he held no grudges and said he 'admired' him for it. Suarez would later be banned for nine internationals.
😱 Reports suggest Luis Suarez has agreed terms to sign for @JuventusFC!
😅 Reunited with Chiellini, but as teammates this time! pic.twitter.com/T5lmQEeUg4— SPORF (@Sporf) September 3, 2020
Chiellini always makes me think of this meme: pic.twitter.com/B5bY0jGvRe
— kyla (@kylaer_) July 6, 2021
What about the classic che vuoi? When Italians question something or refer to anything in peak Italian, they clasp their fingers in a symbolic national gesture.
Somehow, Giorgio Chiellini seems to embody the che vuoi and images of him approaching a referee without making the gesture feel a bit off.
MEME CHECK: CHIELLINI ✅ #InterJuventus pic.twitter.com/0BUzHTxjNB
— Gianmarco Spigariol (@spigagiammy) January 12, 2022
Chiellini is also the type of character that can just create a meme out of a mere facial expression. He's got one of those heads on him.
The defender has played plenty of matches in front of cameras at this stage, and he's also been through the wars in footballing terms.
Giorgio Chiellini is a human riposte to those memes rugby fans post about "rugby players v footballers" pic.twitter.com/P3H7qAuSMG
— Gaby McKay (@GabyMcKay) March 12, 2019
Someone should replace the Drake meme with Chiellini's face. #Chiellini pic.twitter.com/f5SEaDA6ho
— Juan Carlos Pineda (@jczpineda) July 12, 2021
Then you have the (slightly un-subtle roasting of Tottenham Hotspur in 2019 after a Champions League encounter, in which Chiellini didn't mince his words:
But Tottenham, it's the history of the Tottenham. They always created many chances and scored so much, but at the end they miss something, always to arrive at the end. We believe in the history.
Chiellini is spot on about Tottenham 😂😂 pic.twitter.com/tUBNGUlUtx
— Footy Humour (@FootyHumour) January 24, 2019
Last but not least, Giorgio Chiellini and Leonardo Bonucci gave us all a laugh as they brought the Euro 2020 trophy to bed. A well-deserved troll of England.
Of course Bonucci and Chiellini took the #EURO2020 trophy to bed 😂
📸 Instagram: bonuccileo19 pic.twitter.com/4Db1ds4k3g— GOAL Africa (@GOALAfrica) July 12, 2021
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