Roberto Mancini says Giorgio Chiellini could still teach defenders around the world how to do their job after he made a commanding return to Italy action.
The 36-year-old made his first international appearance since June 2019 on Monday, delivering an excellent performance as the Azzurri beat the Netherlands 1-0 in the Nations League clash in Amsterdam.
Chiellini had surgery on a torn anterior cruciate ligament last September and only managed four appearances for Juventus in 2019-20.
Mancini is in no doubt over how important the centre-back is to his plans, however.
He has experience, quality he could still teach many defenders around the world, said Mancini.
It s important for us to have him on the pitch because he is a fighter. I m happy he is back and that he managed to play without problems.
3 have kept a clean sheet against Netherlands away from home for the third time in their history: previously in 1990 with Walter Zenga as a goalkeeper and in 2000 with Francesco Toldo. Giant.
— OptaPaolo (@OptaPaolo)
Chiellini admitted he was relieved to be back playing for Italy in a year in which the football calendar has been hugely disrupted by the coronavirus pandemic.
We prepared well for this game and have been playing at a high level for the last two years, he told Rai Sport.
After so many months under lockdown and a weird summer, it wasn t easy to get back on track. We beat a great team and probably deserved a few more goals.
When we got tired towards the end, we also did well to defend. That s part of the game, too: sometimes, you have to roll up your sleeves.
Italy took the lead through Nicolo Barella s header in the first half and restricted the Netherlands to just two shots on target in the second, the best of which brought out a fine save from Gianluigi Donnarumma after Donny van de Beek fired a half-volley goalwards.
They were otherwise quite comfortable against the Oranje, despite some late pressure, something Mancini was keen to point out.
The whole team played well. You wouldn t dominate the Netherlands at home, otherwise, he said.
The team played perfect football, with a bit of suffering at the end. But they [the Netherlands] played long balls and only had one chance in 90 minutes, with a save from Gigio.
