Giorgio Chiellini admits he’ll miss former Juventus teammate Leonardo Bonucci after the defender’s recent move to AC Milan.
The duo were teammates at the Old Lady for the past seven years, and the 32-year-old made it clear it will take some time to get used to the Azzurri man’s absence.
“It’s normal,” Chiellini told reporters after Saturday’s 2-1 friendly loss to Barcelona.
“He was a teammate in every regard. Over the past seven years I’ve seen him, [Gianluigi] Buffon and [Andrea] Barzagli more than anyone else, including my family.
“I’ll miss him on a human level, but we are still a great group of players. Maybe another defender will arrive in order to help us catch our breath and energy.”
Chiellini also played down suggestions Paulo Dybala is on the same level as Neymar, who netted twice against the Bianconeri on Saturday.
“Dybala isn’t on the same level as Neymar, with all the respect and esteem I have for Paulo,” he concluded.
Last season Chiellini netted four goals in 33 appearances for Juventus.
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