Leonardo Bonucci: Italy & Juventus captain says he will retire at the end of next season

Leonardo Bonucci holding a Juve shirt with 'Bonucci 500' on the back alongside his team-mates in the dressing roomGetty Images

Leonardo Bonucci was presented with a special Juventus shirt to mark his 500th appearance for the club against Sevilla in the Europa League last week

Italy and Juventus captain Leonardo Bonucci says he will retire from football at the end of next season.

The 36-year-old has won eight Serie A titles over two spells at the Italian club and made his 500th appearance against Sevilla last week.

He also has 120 international caps and was part of the Italy side that beat England to win Euro 2020 in July 2021.

"Wearing this shirt has been like living a dream for 12 years," he told Juventus' YouTube channel.

"Everything I've done has been for a shirt that for me is like a second skin.

"There's still a little boy inside who is so happy to wear this shirt and take to the field in it because it was his dream - a dream come true."

Bonucci, whose contract expires next season, began his career at Inter Milan in 2005, where he won his first Serie A title in 2005-06.

The defender also had spells at Treviso, Pisa, Genoa and Bari before joining Juventus in 2010, becoming part of a famous Juve backline along with Andrea Barzagli, Giorgio Chiellini and goalkeeper Gianluigi Buffon that dominated Italian football for a decade.

The Turin giants won nine successive titles between 2011-12 and 2019-20, with Bonucci claiming eight of those after spending one season at AC Milan in 2017-18.

Bonucci made his Italy debut in March 2010 and captained the side for the first time four years later.

He represented the Azzurri at two World Cups and three European Championships, finishing runner-up at Euro 2012 before lifting the trophy nine years later following a penalty shootout win over England at Wembley.

"When I stop playing next year, it will be the end of a defensive era - a way of defending Italian style," he added.

"It's a source of pride to be up there with the greatest. I hope lots of future defenders will see us as idols - just as we did with (Franco) Baresi, (Alessandro) Nesta, (Paolo) Maldini and (Fabio) Cannavaro.

"It would mean we have achieved a lot and given the game a lot."

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