Throughout his illustrious Juventus career, Giorgio Chiellini had always been a fan favorite for the club’s supporters due to his sheer determination and unparalleled dedication to the cause.
Nonetheless, his tough style of play irked many of his opponents on the pitch, including a former Roma midfielder named Miralem Pjanic.
During his five years in the Italian capital, the Bosnian met the former Juventus captain numerous times on the pitch and apparently grew to dislike the veteran defender.
But little did he know at the time that his perspective on Chiellini would radically change once the two became teammates in Turin.
The former Lyon man joined Juventus in 2016 and spent four largely successful years at the Allianz Stadium before joining Barcelona in 2020.
Pjanic also shared his thoughts on another departing Juventus player, and says that he’d love to see Paulo Dybala making a switch to Roma.
“Dybala would be perfect for Roma and the club would be perfect for him,” said the experienced midfielder in an interview with La Repubblica via ilBianconero.
“From what I see, Roma need to take a step forward and add more champions, and players like Paulo always improve their teams. It could be a solution and I’d love to see him there.
“If I had to choose just one person to make a team, the first I would take is Giorgio. I hated him as an opponent. I really did.
“But as a teammate he is the best you can have. A great leader who provides absolute security for the team, He always finds the right words. He’s an extraordinary person.
“When you lose a player like him, on the pitch and in the locker room, it is difficult to replace him,”