Giorgio Chiellini: I will happily hug Luis Suarez at Champions League final

Giorgio Chiellini has said that he doesn’t bear Luis Suarez any grudges

As Juventus take on Barcelona this Saturday for the Champions League title, it will be the first time that Giorgio Chiellini and Luis Suarez will be on the same field since the infamous biting incident from the 2014 World Cup that shocked the footballing world. However, Chiellini has said that he does not hold any grudges against the Uruguayan and would happily hug him.

Suárez was banned for four months last year after he was found to have bitten Chiellini on the shoulder during the group stage match between Uruguay and Italy.

“Of course I will shake hands,” the defender said. “I’ll hug him happily, too, there’s no problem at all. Those who know me even a bit know that’s how I truly feel. I have no problem with him and I think it’s the same for him. I have to think about him as a player, how he moves, his great skill but nothing more.”

“Messi is the God of Football at the moment”

The Juventus centre-back also believes that Lionel Messi would not have scored so many wonder goals had he been playing in Italy as defenses are more tactically sound in Serie A.

“It’s a bit more difficult to score goals like that in Italy because we are a bit different defensively and offensively,” Chiellini said. “In Spain, they play better football but defend worse. But Messi is Messi. He scores when he wants. We have to be good in limiting him as much as possible.”

He also indicated that it’s difficult to compare Messi, Diego Maradona and Pelé, saying, “You can’t say that but at the moment Messi is the god of football. He’s the best in the past 20, 30 years. He’s certainly a class apart in this sport.”