Allegri tells the hard truth: "We told Bonucci a long time ago his Juventus career was finished"

Massimiliano Allegri breaks his silence and explains his point of view on the Leonardo Bonucci case. The Juventus coach tried to clarify the decision to exclude his former captain from this year's squad.

"I'm sorry it ended like this, but we were clear with Leo as early as last February when the club and I spoke to him several times, telling him that next year he would have to decide whether to continue elsewhere or retire."

The defender who spent 12 seasons in a black-and-white shirt hasn't been untouchable in the past three seasons. During the last campaign, he only made 16 Serie A appearances. Allegri praised Leonardo's past achievements - and reminded the public that the results of yesterday make little difference on the pitch today.

"When you're 35-36 years old, and you've made history with Juventus, Leo played 500 matches, and even when he was limping, he went on the field... He gave a lot to Juventus, and Juventus gave a lot to him. He needs to make an important decision and not look at just one year, but at what the future holds because he's still young. What I'm saying now, I said it well in advance. It's normal when a legend like him is nearing the end of his career, to have a fear of retiring."

Bonucci's age has caught up with him. The former Italian international hasn't been the player he was five or six years ago. On rare occasions when he was given playing time, he looked a shadow of his former self. Allegri urges every player to recognize the right moment to say goodbye.

"I wasn't a champion. I had a normal career, and for me, retiring was easy. The dynamics are the same. The difference is that one must be able to accept it earlier. If one accepts it earlier, it's good for oneself; if one accepts it later, one goes through a period of boredom. For me, he was an extraordinary player, important. He'll remain in Juventus history because not many players have played 500 matches for Juventus."