Former Juventus defender Leonardo Bonucci has retired from professional football.

The defender left the Bianconeri at the end of last season under a cloud as the club forced him out.

He was no longer a part of the plan at the Allianz Stadium, yet he wanted to stay and did not feel respected after Juventus asked him to leave.

He moved to Union Berlin for the first half of the season and finished off the campaign at Fenerbahce.

The defender has now decided that the right time has come for him to end his spell as a professional player.

He made the announcement on Instagram and wrote:

“19.⁠ ⁠Forever. As a child I dreamed of this story to tell, promising myself goals to embrace, rejoicing against the greats, having faith through difficulties, with courage. A father, a partner, a husband, a footballer. Beyond. Beyond the history today is me”.

Juve FC Says

Bonucci has had a good career, and although his spell on our books did not end well, he remains one of the key figures in our history.

We expect him to remain involved in football after his playing career, and it will be interesting to see if he ever returns to the club in a different capacity.