BY: Justin Ruderman
On Monday, LAFC announced the signing of Giorgio Chiellini on a free transfer from Juventus. The Italian legend signed an 18-month deal that will keep him under contract in Los Angeles through his 39th birthday. While many fans will look at this signing as confirmation of Major League Soccer being a “retirement league” neither Chiellini nor LAFC see it that way. Here are the 5 main reasons Giorgio Chiellini is the perfect signing for LAFC right now:
1. Winning Mentality
Being the new kid on the block, LAFC wants to prove themselves as a top club this year by laying their hands on MLS Cup for the first time. For Giorgio Chiellini, winning is a way of life. Whether you go all the way back to 2003 when teenage Chiellini won the Under 19 European Championship, fast forward to last year when he conquered Europe with Italy at the age of 36, or look at the nine Serie A titles, five Italian Cup wins, and five Italian Super Cup trophies he’s won in the meantime at Juventus, there is no denying Chiellini’s winning tradition. He was once quoted saying, “At the end of the day it’s better to be an unpleasant winner than a nice loser” which tells you all you need to know about his opinion on participation trophies. For a relatively new club with only one trophy to their name (the importance of which is hotly debated), bringing in a player with a world-class winning pedigree at the very highest level is a major statement for their intentions not only this season but in the coming years. Consistent in his mentality, Chiellini took to Twitter to assure his newest fanbase, “I’m looking forward to winning many more trophies in Los Angeles.” We’ll see if he can live up to that promise in the coming year and a half.
2. Leadership
Giorgio Chiellini is one of the great leaders in modern football. There are not many players who are captains for both club and country but Chiellini was a member of this elite group before he retired from international football after the 2022 Finalissima. He captained Italy for a decade and took over the captaincy from fellow Juventus legend Gianluigi Buffon at club level in 2018. At the end of the 21/22 season, he finally left the club after a legendary 17-year career at the club including 425 appearances for Juve, even staying with them and bringing them back to Serie A after they were relegated to Serie B in 2006 following a match-fixing scandal. The type of leadership and loyalty Cheillini possesses simply isn’t often seen anymore in the modern football culture of players being mercenaries who will wear the jersey of the highest bidder. When Chiellini said, “Our role, to be an idol, is very important. Kids follow everything we say and we do” he was referring to the ones watching him on TV, but another kid who likely idolized Chiellini growing up and who will benefit immensely from his leadership is LAFC defender Mamadou “Mbacke” Fall. Mamadou is one of the most promising young players in Major League Soccer with freakish athleticism for a six-foot central defender, but he still has a lot of room for improvement, especially on the defensive side. Giorgio Chiellini is the perfect mentor. Positioning, reading of the game, and decision-making are all key aspects of the game that Fall needs a few lessons and Chiellini is perfectly prepared to teach. If all goes as planned, John Thorrington may well have turned a seven-figure sale into eight figures while bringing in one of the most experienced defenders in the history of football.
3. Contract Details
Giorgio Chiellini is undoubtedly the biggest non-DP signing in MLS history. While the league has been able to attract a few international stars throughout its first few decades, they have all been with the allure of tons of American cash filling their pockets. MLS allows three designated players per team who can be paid as much as the owners are willing to without a salary cap hit. DPs have been the league’s strategy to bring in big names while maintaining a relatively even financial playing field and it has worked, but it has prevented a team full of stars and hinders the long-term development of the league for this reason. This is why it is a historic moment in league history for LAFC to sign a legend of world football under a TAM contract rather than as a designated player. Further, a TAM contract carries a maximum salary of $1,612,500 which is a lot less than he was getting at Juventus and likely could have still gotten elsewhere in Europe. Chiellini not taking up a DP slot also means two other things. First, the move isn’t a big risk for LAFC. There is a huge upside, but there isn’t much downside as the contract is not particularly long or expensive. Even in the small chance, Chiellini isn’t what LAFC expected, they don’t lose much. The other piece is that because Chiellini doesn’t occupy one of the three DP spots available to LAFC, they are still able to fill their last remaining slot with another big-name signing that can propel them to the MLS Cup they desire.
4. On the Field
For some reason, there is a myth going around that Chiellini is only going to be useful as an assistant coach at LAFC. Let me put this myth to bed. Not only was Chiellini named the best defender of the tournament at the Euros just last year, if Italy had made the World Cup he would be captaining them in Qatar. Instead, he will be playing for LAFC, but do not make the mistake of believing that because he decided to move away from European football he doesn’t have the ability to play there. He most certainly does. The main argument against this is that he lost his speed at his age. To that I say, what speed? Chiellini was never a particularly fast defender. He always relied on his position and reading of the game which has worked out pretty well for him. This reading of the game and tactical awareness is where I believe Chiellini will most improve this high-flying LAFC side on the field. There is simply nobody better in the world in these areas and it will be a big improvement for a team who seems continually hesitant to commit the tactical foul. Chiellini will have no problem committing it himself or instructing others to do so. “Malice is part of football, I wouldn’t call it illegitimate.” Chiellini once said. This is a mentality that LAFC has lacked since its inception, but one it will no longer.
5. Worldwide Recognition
The last piece of the puzzle that makes this signing perfect for LAFC is the number of people around the world who just learned what LAFC is. LAFC fans may not like hearing it but they know the only Los Angeles MLS team that is well known around the world is LA Galaxy. Surely there are individuals who mistakenly believe that Chiellini has just signed for the cross-county rival, but this is the type of signing that begins to shift the narrative. It is the first time the world is taking notice of LAFC. This signing also makes a statement that LAFC is not going to settle for playing second fiddle to anybody in the league. They are going to compete for the biggest signings, spend the necessary money, and continue to build their global brand to compete on an international level. LAFC fans should be eager to see what is coming next.