Chiellini on Sassuolo penalty, hopes for May celebration and praises Protti
Chiellini’s role and the Sky Sport interview
Giorgio Chiellini, Juventus head of football strategy, spoke live on Sky Sport during the presentation of the documentary about Igor Protti, his long‑time Livorno teammate.
Reflections on Igor Protti
Chiellini described Protti as “a legend to me”, recalling his captaincy, technical abilities and the impact he had on Livorno. He said:
“In the end, Igor was a legend to me. He was our captain and the best player in the team… Livorno will remember him forever.”
He also highlighted Protti’s values as a lesson for younger generations, emphasizing community, perseverance and adaptability.
Sassuolo defeat and missed penalty
During the interview Chiellini could not hide his disappointment over Luciano Spalletti’s Bianconeri loss to Sassuolo, where Manuel Locatelli missed a crucial penalty. He remarked:
“Since we're talking about Protti, I'll avoid mentioning the marking… you can imagine the reaction to the missed penalty. Let's hope we're celebrating differently in May.”
Key take‑aways
- Chiellini is Juventus’ head of football strategy.
- The interview was broadcast on Sky Sport on 22 March 2026.
- Chiellini praised Igor Protti as his idol and a legend.
- Locatelli’s missed penalty contributed to the defeat against Sassuolo.
- Chiellini hopes Juventus will celebrate a different outcome in May.
Looking ahead
With the season progressing, Chiellini’s comments underline both the emotional weight of recent setbacks and the inspiration drawn from past heroes like Protti. Fans will be watching closely to see if Juventus can turn the narrative around before the decisive matches in May.
