Ex Juventus defender recalls snubbing Chiellini’s advice: “The biggest regret of my life | OneFootball

The recently retired Mattia Caldara admits he should have heeded a piece of advice he received from Giorgio Chiellini during their brief time together at Juventus.

The defender rose through the ranks of Atalanta, and cemented himself as one of the most exciting young Italian players in the country at the time.

The Bianconeri quickly pounced on the opportunity, buying his contract in January 2017, but kept him at Gian Piero Gasperini’s court on loan for another 18 months.

Mattia Caldara looks back on his brief experience at Juventus

Caldara eventually joined Juve’s ranks in the summer of 2018, spending his pre-season learning from the legendary Chiellini and Andrea Barzagli.

“I remember Pjanic never missing a pass in training, Cancelo with his incredible speed and dribbling ability,” recalled the 31-year-old during his appearance at the Centrocampo podcast via IlBianconero.

“Then there were Chiellini and Barzagli; I almost didn’t want to train so I could focus on watching them, because I learned more that way. I was almost obsessed with how they positioned themselves.

“I often thought about standing still and watching them to learn things of a much higher level. They were physically big, and if they caught a slightly quicker attacker, as soon as they got close to the ball, they’d turn him over.

“When you play alongside them, you start noticing these things.”

(Photo by Giuseppe Bellini/Getty Images)

However, the Bergamo native admitted his performances left much to be desired during his solitary pre-season at Juventus.

“I played three games with Juventus on the US tour, and I have to tell you I wasn’t at the level I was at at the start of my experience with Atalanta, but I didn’t feel like the rest of the team were either.

“However, I felt I could improve a lot. I should have been stronger mentally and in terms of character, even when I went a year or six months without playing.”

Caldara regrets snubbing Chiellini’s advice by leaving Juventus

Caldara ended up joining Milan later that summer, with Leonardo Bonucci sensationally moving in the opposite direction.

The Atalanta youth product admits he should have listened to Chiellini, who advised him to stay in Turin.

“Giorgio gave me a lot of advice and always suggested I stay, but I didn’t listen to him. That was the biggest regret of my life.

“I was really lacking in character, and I made a complete mistake, as  I hadn’t listened to my lifelong idol.

“I went from Juventus, who had won seven or eight consecutive Scudetti, to Milan, and I said to myself: ‘Maybe I have a chance.’ It also gave me this challenge to take Milan where it deserves to be. Anyway, Milan is Milan, so I didn’t listen to Giorgio.

“I left with a great desire to prove myself. But until October, I hadn’t played, and that weighed on me. I suffered a lot, I wanted to prove myself so much, and I hadn’t even entered the game.”

The centre-back then had experiences at Venezia, Spezia and Modena, but he recently decided to retire following never-ending battles with injuries.