Italy international Leonardo Bonucci has announced his retirement at the age of 37, concluding his career with Fenerbahce. “I want to finish my career with a cup,” he stated.
Bonucci joined Fenerbahce in the January transfer window after an unsuccessful stint at Union Berlin last summer.
He aimed to perform well enough this season to secure a spot in the EURO 2024 squad. However, when Luciano Spalletti omitted him from the preliminary list, Bonucci decided it was time to retire.
“It was a pleasure for me to be a part of this wonderful family,” Bonucci told the official Fenerbahce website. “I tried to show my best, on and off the field, but most importantly, we will fight our last battle tomorrow. I want to finish my career with a cup, and we have the opportunity to become champions tomorrow.”
Bonucci was honored with a special jersey signed by all his teammates in Istanbul ahead of the Super Lig showdown with Istanbulspor. Fenerbahce also needs Galatasaray to lose to Konyaspor to claim the title.
Bonucci, who turned 37 on May 1, spent most of his career at Juventus from 2010 to 2023, except for a brief spell at Milan during the 2017-18 season. His other clubs included Inter, Treviso, Pisa, Genoa, and Bari.
The central defender earned 121 caps for Italy, scored eight goals, and was part of the squad that won the EURO 2020 tournament.
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