Giorgio Chiellini, the legendary Italian defender widely regarded as one of the great central defenders in modern football, has shared new insights into his experiences on the pitch. The Juventus icon and European champion with Italy appeared on The Overlap show, where he reflected on facing Real Madrid in the 2017 Champions League final.
🗣️ Giorgio Chiellini: “Isco was the one who broke our plan. He was really unstoppable.
He creates on the right, middle, left, it wasn’t easy for us to stop them.” @WeAreTheOverlap pic.twitter.com/F9nKNKIqtL
— Madrid Xtra (@MadridXtra) December 4, 2024
Even though fans and players often highlight superstars like Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi as the best, Chiellini emphasized that unpredictability can define a match. He singled out Isco as the key factor behind Real Madrid’s success, describing the Spaniard as “unstoppable” during their 2017 campaign. “Isco was the one who broke our plan. He was really unstoppable. He creates on the right, middle, left. It wasn’t easy for us to stop them.”
Discussing Juventus’ defeat to Real Madrid in the 2017 Champions League final, Chiellini offered a rare glimpse into the tactical challenges faced by defenders. “We’ve beaten Real Madrid with James Rodríguez as the midfielder and with three forwards. It was an offensive team. It was okay, we defend really well and we score. But when they played with Casemiro and Isco, we could manage Gareth Bale, we’ll concede a couple of chances, but we know what he’s doing. But Isco that season … the most difficult thing for a defender is unpredictable players.”
Chiellini’s praise for Isco reflects his unique perspective as one of football’s top defenders. He further shared that, if tasked with picking a player for a final, he would choose his former Juventus teammate Cristiano Ronaldo over Messi. Still, his acknowledgment of Isco as the true “game-breaker” during Madrid’s era of dominance highlights how individual brilliance can outshine even the biggest stars when it matters most.