GIOR BLIMEY
Chiellini recreates THAT Saka moment with BBC pundit as Italy legend arrives at Euro 2024 final
Former defender has since revealed thought process behind infamous interaction
ITALY icon Giorgio Chiellini recreated his infamous foul on Bukayo Saka with England legend Rio Ferdinand.
The Euro 2020 winner is in Berlin to watch the Three Lions’ final showdown against Spain this evening.
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Chiellini knows all about playing England in a major final, winning the Euros three years ago in a dramatic penalty shootout at Wembley.
And he was roundly booed by Three Lions fans as he brought the trophy onto the pitch ahead of kick-off.
The former centre-back, who retired from football in December after a spell with MLS side LAFC, played a major role in Italy’s victory over England in 2021.
But his biggest talking point came when Arsenal winger Saka broke free of Chiellini with a gut-busting run towards Italy’s goal.
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The ace, was determined to drive England towards a historic win in their own backyard.
But Chiellini had other ideas as he cynically grabbed the back of Saka’s shirt before yanking hard on the material.
The outrageous foul was captured on camera at the perfect moment.
And it denied Saka the opportunity to launch an attack, with the rest of the game eventually going in Italy’s favour.
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However, Chiellini still sees the funny side as he recreated the grab with former England star and BBC pundit Ferdinand.
The Manchester United hero pulled a face as Chiellini held on to the back of his t-shirt.
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And the Italian also couldn’t help himself from pulling a huge grin.
Ferdinand posted the snap online and captioned it: “Three years on and he’s at it again ffs.”
Fans certainly found it amusing, with one saying: “Chiellini my all-time favourite defender.”
Another declared: “No way you recreated that.”
One noted: “Nah that’s still raw.”
Another added: “That’s hilarious.”
While Saka has kept quiet over the incident, Chiellini has frequently talked about it in the past.
He previously said: "For me it was impossible to reach his speed and his pace and it's the only way. I did the mistake in order to get the ball.
“He was very smart to get the ball past me on the side, it's the only way to stop him before he took the ball to create a dangerous situation."
On another occasion, Chiellini noted: “In reality, it was a stupid mistake on my part.
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“I misread the situation, but I was able to react to the error. At that moment, it was the right thing to do.
“It was not the nicest or most beautiful thing to do, but I am someone who always focused on being effective rather than elegance or style.”
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