OFFICIAL: Juventus & Italy legend Claudio Marchisio retires from football at 33

Juventus & Italy legend Claudio Marchisio retires from football at 33.

Marchisio confirmed he would be hanging up his boots in a tweet shortly before a special Press conference at Juventus Stadium.

"You have probably imagined why I asked you to come here today. I have decided to retire. It was a thoughtful but difficult decision." He says at the press conference.

"It was right to communicate it in a special place,  an important place to me. I never considered any other clubs in Italy other than Juventus."

"The regret is not having won the Champions League with Juventus and the European championship with the national team. My dream came true when I trained with the Juve first-team... I would like to replay the Berlin final, the one against Barcelona. For the future, I will not rule anything out, I need time to think it over."

He then tweeted, "I’d made a promise to the kid who dreamt to become a football player. I would have played until I had felt the marvel stepping into the pitch. I wasn’t fulfilling my promise anymore, that’s why I prefer to stop. So, thank you dream, you gave me strength, success and joy!"

Born and raised in Turin, he signed for the Bianconeri when he was seven years old.

Marchisio went on to make 389 appearances for his boyhood club, scoring 37 goals, providing 43 assists and picking up only one red card.

He won seven Scudetti between 2012 and 2018 and reached two Champions League Finals, but knee problems ravaged his last couple of seasons.

Marchisio attempted a comeback at Zenit St Petersburg last term but managed just 15 games for the Russian side, prior to leaving in August.

He played 55 times for Italy and netted five times, playing at two World Cups and forming part of the squad that reached the Final of Euro 2012.