Bonucci, who anchored the Italian defense with Chiellini-Barzagli and Juventus, has announced his retirement.
“Leonardo Bonucci, the Italian defender who joined our football team in the winter transfer window, is ending his active football career,” Fenerbahce confirmed on the club’s official website on Saturday.
Bonucci is a Juventus legend who spent 13 years with the club. The captain of the Italian national team, he’s a very good ball distributor, and while his purely manual skills may not be as good as other legends, his ability to build up from the back is what makes him so highly regarded. His long passes are quite accurate and he also likes to play forward passes, which often catch opponents off guard.
In his first season at Juventus, before moving to AC Milan, he was part of the iron trio of Barzagli, Chiellini, and Bonucci as a key defender for Conte and Allegri. In 2016/17, his final season at Juventus, the Bianconeri came close to winning the treble, but lost to Real Madrid in the Champions League.
He then moved to AC Milan after a falling out with Allegri, and after a poor start to the season, he returned to Juventus in mid-season, scoring one goal and two assists in 51 games. The following season, 2018/19, he struggled, but bounced back in 2019/20 to show his best form.
However, as he grew older, the 36-year-old lost his place in the starting lineup in 2022/23 as the back three of Bremer, Danilo, and Gatti began to gel. In May, he announced his retirement from soccer at the end of next season, but there was no place for Bonucci.
Eventually, he joined German sensation Union Berlin in the summer transfer window. It was the first time in the club’s history that they had qualified for the Champions League, so they wanted Bonucci to bring his experience to the team and help them do well.
However, Bonucci’s form plummeted and he didn’t look good every time he came out, and he was eventually dropped from the squad completely, playing 토토 just 10 games this season. Bonucci wanted to play, and he even wanted a starting spot. Unable to give him a starting spot, Union Berlin eventually sold him to Fenerbahce.
At Fenerbahce, Bonucci played mostly as a reserve, helping to develop the players, and recorded one assist in eight league appearances. He came on as a substitute in the final game on Sunday (ET) and played 26 minutes, giving the fans a final farewell.
Bonucci, who met with head coach Ismail Kartal and the players before the final training session before the match, was presented with a Fenerbahce jersey signed by the entire team. Captain Mert Hakan Yandas thanked him on behalf of the team, saying: “I have personally 실시간 바카라사이트 seen what a leader he is many times. We thank him from the bottom of our hearts for always being there for the team, both on and off the pitch. We and the Fenerbahçe fans were very lucky to have him with us. Thank you once again for everything.”
Leonardo Bonucci, who has decided to end his football career, said: “It has been a great pleasure for me to be part of this wonderful family. I tried to give my best on and off the pitch, but the most important thing is that I’m leaving the team now. Thank you to everyone,” he concluded.
