From Wellingborough to London, a 22-year journey. Giorgio Chiellini’s international career will come to an end when Italy face Argentina in the Finalissima at Wembley. It all started on 7 April 2000, when Italy U15s drew 2-2 with England in a friendly in Wellingborough. It was the first of Chiellini’s 71 caps in the National Team youth setup, with the future Azzurri captain winning the 2003 European Under-19 Championship in Liechtenstein and a bronze medal with the U21s at the 2004 Olympic Games in Athens.

Then, he made the step up to the senior side, for whom he made his debut under Marcello Lippi in a friendly against Finland in November 2004. In London, he’ll make his 117th appearance, joining Daniele De Rossi in fourth place in the all-time ranking.

“I’ll miss all the lads, the daily routine, the excitement, the interaction. I’ve shared the changing room with a lot of young players, who I’ve always treated like little brothers. I’ve liked playing this role of big brother. As the years have gone by, I’ve been able to experience all that we do in more of a relaxed fashion; experience shapes and improves you. I think it will be the same for the youngsters of today.” Chiellini will finish his Italy career at Wembley, where, last summer, he experienced unbridled joy: “Among my best memories is the European Championship victory. Then, there was my debut, which is always fantastic and magical. I’ve had an absolutely incredible career. Playing for the National Team is every child’s dream, and I could never have imagined going on such a journey.”

While the EURO 2020 triumph was undoubtedly magnificent, there was also the disappointment of missing out on two World Cups and the less than memorable experiences in South Africa and Brazil: “I believe in destiny. In 2010 and 2014, our World Cup campaigns were disappointing. I wanted to change my story in World Cups, but unfortunately I was unable to do so. On the contrary, I always enjoyed successful European Championship tournaments. I don’t have any regrets. I’ve been enjoying these last few weeks as I say goodbye to Juventus and the National Team.”

Chiellini will be missed on the pitch and in the changing room, where, like a true captain, he has always helped the many youngsters involved in the senior setup for the first time, giving them advice and, when necessary, even rebuking them at times: “We have youngsters and there are good young players who are playing. A lot of the time, there’s this tendency to overstate a problem that I don’t see. There are some positions where we have more and fewer players, but that’s just how it is right now. These lads are building on what they’ve done at youth level and displaying excellent technical quality. We need to go again, building on the things that have been done well. I’m very hopeful for the future.”

Taking over the armband will be a friend and teammate Chiellini has shared many battles with: Leonardo Bonucci. “The previous captain was Buffon, who was different. Before him, there was Cannavaro, who’s a different kind of person. The important thing for whoever captains the side is to be themselves, and you need to be helpful and support your teammates. Everyone has their own characteristics and Leo will do well.”

The designated heir, meanwhile, is Alessandro Bastoni: “I think he has a bright future ahead of him. I’ve been telling him this for a long time now, from the first time I saw him in fact. He just needs to play, make mistakes and improve. You can’t be perfect at the age of 23, but he has everything required to play for ten to twelve years in the Azzurri shirt.”

With Gianluca Mancini (“growth is guaranteed with him, he’s someone who can help defend our European title in two years”) also very much part of the setup, the hope is that Italy will continue to produce defenders of Chiellini’s calibre: “I developed watching Fabio Cannavaro, who is a true great. We mustn’t lose the pleasure of getting stuck into opponents, into attackers. There needs to be some old school defenders in our youth teams. Then, it’s possible to evolve, as has happened to me during my career.”

On Wednesday, Italy will take to the pitch in their new shirt and come up against a very strong Argentina side who are currently on a 31-game unbeaten run. Kean and Zaniolo won’t be involved and, given that they won’t be available for the next few matches, will leave the camp this afternoon. As for Chiellini, a final speech to the team awaits: “I still haven’t thought about what I’ll say. I’ll probably try to make everyone smile.” A few tears cannot be ruled out, either.

Squad list

Goalkeepers: Alessio Cragno (Cagliari), Gianluigi Donnarumma (Paris Saint-Germain), Alex Meret (Napoli), Salvatore Sirigu (Genoa);
Defenders: Francesco Acerbi (Lazio), Alessandro Bastoni (Inter), Cristiano Biraghi (Fiorentina), Leonardo Bonucci (Juventus), Davide Calabria (Milan), Giorgio Chiellini (Juventus), Giovanni Di Lorenzo (Napoli), Federico Dimarco (Inter), Emerson Palmieri Dos Santos (Olympique Lyonnais), Alessandro Florenzi (Milan), Federico Gatti (Frosinone), Manuel Lazzari (Lazio), Luiz Felipe (Lazio), Gianluca Mancini (Roma), Giorgio Scalvini (Atalanta), Leonardo Spinazzola (Roma);
Midfielders: Nicolò Barella (Inter), Bryan Cristante (Roma), Salvatore Esposito (Spal), Davide Frattesi (Sassuolo), Jorginho Frello Jorge Luiz (Chelsea), Manuel Locatelli (Juventus), Lorenzo Pellegrini (Roma), Matteo Pessina (Atalanta), Tommaso Pobega (Torino), Samuele Ricci (Torino), Sandro Tonali (Milan), Marco Verratti (Paris Saint-Germain);
Forwards: Andrea Belotti (Torino), Federico Bernardeschi (Juventus), Matteo Cancellieri (Verona), Gianluca Caprari (Verona), Wilfried Gnonto (FC Zürich), Lorenzo Insigne (Napoli), Matteo Politano (Napoli), Giacomo Raspadori (Sassuolo), Gianluca Scamacca (Sassuolo), Mattia Zaccagni (Lazio), Alessio Zerbin (Frosinone).