Juventus top defender Giorgio Chiellini has pleaded with professional football players to always think about life after their football career.
According to a UK Daily Mail report citing FIFPro, the highly-rated Italian defender, who has close to 500 appearances for Juventus insists he would prefer to work in an office work, than take to coaching after hanging his boots..
"Not once did I miss training to go to a class," he said during the interview with FIFPro.
"As footballers, we don't have commitments 24 hours a day. Every player can find the time to study. You don't have to miss even a minute of your football career, or compromise your passion for the game.
"We have to encourage football players to study so there are more who get a university degree. Because life is long. Life will be beautiful after a player's career, but you have to prepare first or you might get to 35 years old and not know what to do with your life.
"You need to start thinking about life after football at the beginning of your career. At 20 to 25 years old you feel indestructible and able to do anything in football. But you have to start considering the future because at 35 your career is more or less finished.
"You have the rest of your life in front of you, and being able to play football is not enough."
At the moment, the Juventus star defender is proud of his educational achievements after earning a degree in economics and commerce as well as a masters in business administration, but opted to remain in football for now.
"I would like to stay in football because it is my greatest passion, perhaps with a 'desk' job rather than a job in coaching," Chiellini noted.
Speaking further, the Italy international revealed he will not like to pursue a career in coaching alongside other careers after his retirement as a professional footballer.
"But I have to make sure I carry on learning and not believe that because I have played for 15 years for Juventus and the Italian national team that I can start a new job and think I know everything.
"Only a few footballers manage to find a job in football when they stop playing. There's also the risk of depression, and there are many former players with financial problems because they have not thought about life after football, they have not opened their minds by studying.
"Each person has different interests and can choose which path to go down after football, but the important thing is to do something," Chiellini pleaded.
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