
- Giorgio Chiellini was a guest on FIFPRO’s Footballers Unfiltered, which is hosted by former Manchester City and England goalkeeper Joe Hart
- The series enables current and former footballers to have open conversations about the hidden side of the profession
- Chiellini talks about the importance of education, having to do a university exam in private after being asked for selfies by fellow students, and the importance of preparing for life after football
Juventus and Italy legend Giorgio Chiellini has revealed how going to university in his early 20s boosted his on-pitch performances during his trophy-laden career.
The nine-time Serie A winner was speaking on FIFPRO’s newly launched Footballers Unfiltered, which is hosted by former Manchester City and England goalkeeper Joe Hart.
The new series allows current and former footballers to have open conversations about the hidden side of the profession, highlighting player stories and challenges many people don’t see, while also shining a light on how player unions are tackling these issues to protect footballers domestically and globally.
Chiellini, a guest on the opening episode, recalls his experiences of going to university in 2006, a couple of years after he first joined Juventus. "At high school, I had the idea to go to university and become a doctor. After that I said, 'okay, I can go and it may also be useful for my future'," said Chiellini.
"What I didn't expect was that my journey at university was also really useful for my sport performances. It was a way in which I was able to open my mind, be focused much more to understand how it's changing everything and really train the brain in a different way. I replaced the way I started at university by then studying my opponents and studying the game."

The EURO 2020 winner also recounts how he had to be removed from a university exam when students started to 'scream and ask for selfies'.
Chiellini said: "I was 22, 23, almost the same age as people there. I was playing for Juventus at the time. I studied alone or sometimes with a private professor. An exam was usually done with the professor and one or two assistants, rather than with 300 people.
"It happened just once with an English exam, in the first or second year of university, where a professor told me, 'I don't care who you are, you have to be part of the class at 9am on Monday'. I arrived there two minutes before 9am, took a seat. By 9:05am I was in another room because people started to scream, ask for selfies.
"The professor then said, 'Sorry, I didn't expect this'. I replied: 'That's no problem. I was prepared, and I can do the exam wherever you want'."
Having benefited from his university experiences, Chiellini is encouraging younger players to also think about educational development to help manage their playing careers and boost opportunities after football.
The former defender said: "I really do believe in having something different from football to release pressure and stay grounded. We [players] are living in a bubble at 21, and at 23 I had already earned more than my mom and dad would've earned in a lifetime. That’s not normal and it's not easy to manage if you don't have a solid base, family. You have to find a way to stay grounded; studying is important to maintain that reality and be involved with normal people."
Chiellini points towards the example of Juventus goalkeeper Mattia Perin, who has excelled in other disciplines outside of football. "Three years ago, he got involved in wine. He did a sommelier class and he became one of the best at knowing everything about wine. Then he started to play piano and he is also an expert in cycling in Europe.

"I’ve said to Mattia many times that with how his brain works he could have five degrees now, not just one. He’s doing in a different light the same thing I did with university. That is fantastic."
Life after football
At the beginning of his conversation with Chiellini, Footballers Unfiltered host Hart says: "It’s amazing to see you in your suit." "Life changed," smiles Chiellini. After announcing his playing retirement in December 2023, Chiellini worked with former club LAFC for six months to learn about the business side of football. "I loved all the time I spent in LA, it was very meaningful and it opened my mind. I have a different perspective now because of my time there."
In September 2024 Chiellini re-joined Juventus, the club where he spent 17 years as a player, as Head of Football Institutional Relations. "I'm like a new employee at 40-years-old when people are arriving at 25. It's not easy to understand that you cannot lead the team now. I have to accept that and work on that but I'm okay with this transition.
"I'm representing Juventus all over the institution, domestic and international. It is much more a corporate position."

As he embarks on the next chapter of his career journey, Chiellini will no doubt keep with him the values instilled by working with player unions.
"I was part of the board of the Italian Association (AIC). I was part of the FIFPRO Player Council and I worked with them to let them understand the needs of players; not just about playing more games, travel, but about education at the beginning and end of your career."
A 2021 FIFPRO report found that some 67 percent of professional footballers are not sure what they will do when they stop playing, while only 33 percent said they were “confident” about their career path when they stop playing.
Chiellini continued: "The national association, and FIFPRO as a leader of all these association, is taking care of players and letting them know how important it is to prepare a second plan [after football]. The average player retires at 35 and only a percentage can be a coach, broadcaster, sport director, or whatever in football. It is not easy and if you start early with different classes or courses, players can start to reinvent themselves."
To watch the opening episode of Footballers Unfiltered, which is recorded at Spotify's studios in London, head HERE. Episode One sees Hart chat with Chiellini and PFA Scotland Player Services Manager Chris Higgins.
Footballers Unfiltered is a 12-episode monthly series to celebrate FIFPRO’s 60th year of serving players.