Chiellini ‘sad and hurt’ by Juventus points deduction

The
Bianconeri
were
punished
for
alleged
irregularities
regarding
historic
transfer
dealings
by
having
15
points
struck
off
their
Serie
A
total
in
January,
although
the
club
intend
to
appeal.

Chiellini,
who
now
plays
for
Major
League
Soccer
side
Los
Angeles
FC,
was
a
part
of
the
Juve
team
who
were
stripped
of
titles
and
relegated
due
to
the
Calciopoli
scandal
in
2006.

Massimiliano
Allegri’s
side
are
seventh
in
Serie
A,
12
points
off
the
top
four
and
Champions
League
qualification
with
15
games
remaining,
though
they
are
through
to
the
Europa
League
last
16
after
beating
Nantes
4-1
on
aggregate
in
the
playoff
round.

“For
me,
it’s
painful,”
Chiellini
told
The
Athletic.
“I
feel
sad
and
hurt
by
what’s
happening
to
Juventus.
It’s
hard
not
to
be
in
Turin,
and
it’s
not
easy
for
everyone
who
loves
the
club.
Now,
the
fans
need
to
be
patient
because
the
club
is
fighting
for
everyone,
and
I
hope
everything
finishes
in
the
best
way
possible.”

The
38-year-old
former
Juve
and
Italy
defender
revealed
he
barely
watched
any
of
the
World
Cup
in
Qatar,
after
the
Azzurri
failed
to
qualify.

“The
World
Cup
was
weird,
to
be
honest,”
he
said.
“I
didn’t
watch
very
much
–
it
wasn’t
nice.
I
caught
up
on
some
of
the
highlights
but
almost
never
the
live
matches,
outside
of
the
final
[Argentina
v
France]
and
the
United
States’ first
game
against
Wales,
because
I
was
still
here
for
that.

“It
was
tough
not
to
be
there
for
it
because
going
to
the
World
Cup
is
a
big
goal.
It
would
have
been
a
great
experience,
but
I
try
to
change
the
bad
things
and
look
at
them
more
positively.
Failing
at
World
Cup
qualification
meant
I
decided
to
come
to
Los
Angeles
for
a
new
challenge,
and
it
has
been
an
unforgettable
experience
for
me.”

Chiellini
made
13
appearances
for
LAFC
after
joining
last
season,
helping
them
to
win
the
MLS
Cup,
and
he
is
starting
to
feel
more
at
home
since
leaving
his
native
Italy.

“After
the
Christmas
holiday,
I
feel
more
settled,
I
understand
the
city
better
now,”
he
said.
“Los
Angeles
is
so
big.
When
I
arrived,
I
didn’t
quite
understand
what
it
was
like
to
live
here.”

He
added:
“Leaving
Italy
and
coming
here
has
allowed
me
to
discover
many
new
cultures
and
a
different
way
of
life
outside
of
football.
I
like
it.
I’m
a
curious
guy,
and
I’m
very
lucky
to
have
found
an
amazing
club
that
has
welcomed
my
family
and
me
in
the
best
way
possible.”