Chiellini, the director of Juventus, clarified his position after the Italian team's exit from the Champions League at the hands of Galatasaray in the second leg of the playoff qualifying for the Round of 16. He spoke to the press instead of coach Luciano Spalletti about the team's performance.

Chiellini said: "Luciano is not present here because I believe it's appropriate for a manager to speak tonight. We are exhausted and disappointed with this result, despite the good performance. At the same time, we are proud of the way we played."

He continued: "The fans shook our hands at the end of the match in appreciation of the great effort the team made to try to turn the result around. The feeling we should have is that this is a starting point to reignite the spark we lost, as we approach the final weeks of the season."

Chiellini added about the red card for Lloyd Kelly: "Let's just say it's fortunate that Kelly was in that position and not me, I can't say more than that." He affirmed: "We need to continue to trust this group and the coach. There is an ongoing process, and this may mean some negative results despite the good performance."

Chiellini concluded his remarks about the upcoming matches: "There are 12 games left this season, and there's a lot at stake. The team is ready, as we saw tonight, and the growth process continues despite some slips and obstacles. We know we can go further with a little extra focus, but for now, we need to concentrate on facing Roma and the remaining matches."