Leonardo Bonucci, an international player for Italy, announced his retirement from football at the age of 37. He said, “I want to hold a cup at the end of my career.”
The defender, who had an unfortunate trade to Union Berlin the previous summer, joined Fenerbahce during the January transfer window.
After failing to make the preliminary list under Luciano Spalletti, he thought he might perform well enough this season to secure a spot in the EURO 2024 team. Nevertheless, it was time to hang up his boots.
“It was a pleasure for me to be a part of this wonderful family,” Bonucci told the official Fenerbahce website.
“I tried to show my best, on and off the field, but most importantly, we will fight our last battle tomorrow. I want to finish my career with a cup and we have the opportunity to become champions tomorrow.”
Before tomorrow’s Super Lig match against Istanbulspor, he received a unique jersey signed by all of his teammates in Istanbul. Galatasaray must lose to Konyaspor.
Bonucci, who turned 37 on May 1st, played for Juventus from 2010 until 2023, with the exception of a brief stint in the 2017–18 season.
Inter, Treviso, Pisa, Genoa, and Bari were his additional clubs. Along with 121 senior caps, the central defence helped Italy win the EURO 2020 championship and score eight goals.
Prior to going to Bari in 2009, Bonucci began his career in 2005 with Inter Milan and spent the following several seasons on loan at Treviso and Pisa. The following season, he moved to Juventus with fellow Italian center-back Andrea Ranocchia thanks to his strong defensive play.
There, he established himself as one of the best defenders in the world of football by playing a crucial role in the club’s three-man defensive line with Giorgio Chiellini and Andrea Barzagli.
In addition to playing in two UEFA Champions League finals in 2015 and 2017, he went on to win six straight Serie A titles with the team between 2012 and 2017. After joining AC Milan in 2017, he returned to Juventus the following season and won two more titles.
