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“Studying has made me more reflective on the pitch”

22 January 2025
Giorgio Chiellini, football superstar and an inspiring example of a successful dual-career.

He might have won the football European Championship with Italy in 2021, but throughout his career Giorgio Chiellini has proven to be a champion off the pitch as well. Indeed, the defender graduated from the Liceo Scientifico. He then enrolled at the University of Turin, where he graduated with honours in Economics in 2010 and in Business Administration seven years later.

Today Chiellini is Head of Football Institutional Relations for Juventus, co-founder of Akka, a club that invests in start-ups and partner of Mate, the communications agency in which also Claudio Marchisio, another former Juventus player is an associate. Like the participants in the FISU Games, the Italian defender had to balance his sports and study activities. Chiellini took part in the opening ceremony of the Torino 2025 FISU World University Games as the last torchbearer. In a post on Instagram Chiellini wished to the student-athletes to “live this experience with passion and determination, honouring the values of sport”.

You graduated from the University of Turin while playing for Juventus: what are the main challenges of this dual career, of being a student and a professional sportsman at the same time?
The career of a professional athlete absorbs most of the free time and physical and nervous energy during the day. Reading and studying have always helped me in maintaining good mental health, thanks to this I’ve always been able to balance my academic challenges with training and matches. Naps and Playstation helped me relax, but I also used to read good books or university texts.

Giorgio Chiellini was the Torino 2025 FISU World University Games’ last torch bearer before a drone lit the brazier.

What did you prove to be the last torchbearer at the Torino 2025 FISU Games? How can the Games promote sports and study values? Can they motivate young people to work in both aspects?
I’ll never forget the emotion of being the last torchbearer. I believe that the Games are the symbol of sports values. Seeing the passion of more than 2500 young athletes was very emotional and reminded me of when I was a young footballer with a big dream. I wish that everyone could make their dreams come true.

Have you ever thought of giving up on one of the activities?
No, I haven’t. Football and study have always been fundamental and integral parts of my life. I find it hard to think of myself without either one, because they have accompanied me for as long as I can remember.

What would you suggest to young people who are trying to balance these two demanding worlds?
The most important thing is to find the right balance by working actively on both sides. Constancy is crucial in both aspects; study can help in sports and at the same time, some aspects of athlete life make it easier to handle academic commitments.

Did studying help you as you approached football matches? Has the habit of competing ever helped you in your academic career?
In the game of football, instinct is crucial but when you get to change to reflect on it it’s fundamental not to make mistakes in the most heated moments. In regard to that, studying helped me to sharpen my reflecting skills, to maintain a high level of concentration for a long period of time. Sports helped me with academic challenges: I’m used to working under pressure.

The Italian role-model admits studying while playing football was tough, but natural for him.

I guess that you highly believe in the value of studying. What drives somebody as accomplished as you are to take on such a complex task as studying at University? And why did you choose Economics?
Studying has always been part of my life, as I’ve never neglected it. To me, it was such a natural process: when I was young, I endured more than most of my peers did I didn’t mind it. I count myself lucky since I made my dreams a reality. I chose Economics as it was always something I was fascinated by. Also, I knew it was going to give me multiple career options after I retired as a footballer.

You recently co-founded Akka, a club investing in start-ups. You have been a partner of Mate, alongside Claudio Marchisio, for a couple of years now. How useful was your academic experience in your entrepreneurial ventures and in your role as Juventus’ Head of Football Institutional Relations?
In the last few years I discovered the world of startups and the potential of Thomas Rebaud’s project, Akka, immediately convinced me. The Mate Agency is now a solid business and I’m super happy that my partner is Claudio Marchisio, with whom I also shared many years at Juventus. My academic training was crucial to all the steps I took after I retired as footballer both as an entrepreneur and as a manager.

When you enrolled in the faculty of Economics, did you already have in mind those projects, or did they develop in the following years?
Almost all the projects developed in the following years. My academic training gave me the knowledge to operate in a different field, after 30 years of being a footballer.

As you’ve been living in Turin for a long time now, have you ever ventured in winter sports nearby Turin?
Unfortunately, skiing is incompatible with being a professional footballer. I got back to skiing after I retired, after almost 30 years since I last had been on the slopes. I do appreciate the mountains and when I’m able to, I treat myself to a getaway in Sestriere.

The Torino 2025 FISU World University Games take place from 13-23 January. Watch all the competitions live on fisu.tv. Click on the link to find the full schedule.

Written by Lorenzo Borghero and Anna Mulassano, FISU Young Reporters, Italy

The Young Reporters Programme exemplifies FISU’s commitment to more than sports competitions. At every FISU World University Games, a group of talented aspiring sports journalists are chosen to cover the competition.

We warmly thank FISU Official Partner Qiaodan Ltd. which provides remarkable uniforms to FISU Family and International Technical Officials since 2015. Qiaodan is a valuable partner for FISU as it continued to provide its support during the postponement of events due to the global pandemic, and recently extended the relationship with FISU up to and including 2025.


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