page_title: Giorgio Chiellini
section_title: Style of play
hierarchical_section_title: Giorgio Chiellini / Style of play
caption_attribution_description: English: Didier Drogba ve Giorgio Chellini
context_page_description: Giorgio Chiellini is an Italian professional footballer who plays as a defender and captains both Serie A club Juventus and the Italy national team. A physically strong, aggressive, and versatile defender, although he is usually deployed as a centre-back, he is also capable of playing as a left-back, both in a three or four-man defence.
  At club level, Chiellini began his career with Livorno in 2000, also later playing for Roma and Fiorentina, before moving to Juventus in 2005. With Juventus, he has won nine consecutive Serie A titles from 2012 to 2020, as well as four consecutive Coppa Italia titles, and four Supercoppa Italiana titles. Chiellini has been named in the Serie A Team of the Year five times: in 2012–13, 2014–15, 2015–16, 2017–18 and 2018–19 and has been awarded the Serie A Defender of the Year also three times: in 2008, 2009 and 2010.
  He made his international debut for Italy in 2004, and currently has a total of 102 caps making him Italy's seventh-highest appearance holder.
context_section_description: Chiellini began his professional career as a defensive-minded left-back, but later made his name as an aggressive, courageous, physical, and hard-tackling centre-back, with a penchant for scoring headers from set-pieces, due to his height, aerial prowess, athleticism, and strength. A versatile, consistent, commanding, and dependable left-footed defender, with good awareness, positional sense, and an ability to read the game, he is capable of playing both in a three or four-man defence. A hard-working player, he is also known for his ability to cover ground and put pressure on or anticipate opponents in positions higher up on the pitch. Regarded as a promising defender in his youth, he came to be considered as one of the best defenders in world football, one of the greatest defenders of his generation, and one of Juventus's greatest defenders ever. In 2018, his Juventus manager at the time – Massimiliano Allegri – described him as "the best defender in the world." Regarding Chiellini's strength and man-marking ability, his former Livorno manager Walter Mazzarri once labeled him as "a force of nature", also adding "he's a universal player that any coach would love to have on his team. He is from another planet; he can mark three players by himself." Due to his tenacious, no-nonsense playing style, Chiellini has been described as an "old-fashioned" centre-back, who primarily serves as a ball-winner; his physicality and aggression as a defender, as well as his trademark goal celebration, which involves him beating his chest, have earned him the nickname "King Kong". Although he is not particularly skilful or elegant from a technical standpoint, he possesses good vision and reliable distribution, which allows him to play the ball out or launch attacks from the back after winning back possession. A popular figure with fans, he is also known for his dedication and vocal leadership on the pitch, and was Juventus's long-time vice captain, behind Gianluigi Buffon; following Buffon's departure in 2018, Chiellini was appointed the team's new captain. Although he is not known for his pace over short distances, he is also a mobile defender. Moreover, he possesses a strong mentality, good temperament under pressure, determination, and excellent concentration, as well as an ability to organise his back-line. Despite his ability as a defender, he has often struggled with injuries in recent seasons.
caption: Chiellini defending Didier Drogba in 2013
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