Claudio Marchisio has left Serie A champions Juventus after his contract was terminated by mutual consent, the club have announced.

He spent the following season on loan at Empoli and returned to become a first-team fixture in Turin, making a total of 389 appearances and scoring 37 goals.

1) Marchisio is truly the Bianconeri fan. Growing up in a family of Juventus supporters he was a ball-boy at the Delle Alpi stadium (Juventus previous stadium).

2) He was first called up into the Juventus first team to train as a teenager by former England manager Fabio Capello.

3) In 2006 Juventus relegated to Serie B, Marchisio was given a starting role in the side under Didier Deschamps.

4) Marchisio first captained Juventus in the Europa League tie with Fulham in 2010.

5) He finally scored his first goal for the club upon his return to Juventus with a match winner against Fiorentina; five days after his 23rd birthday.



<!nextpage–>

6) He was voted Juventus Player of the Year in 2009.

7) After promotion, he was loaned out to Empoli along with Sebastian Giovinco in order to gain vital first-team football.

8) He was named in the Serie A team of the year in both 2011 and 2012.

9) He made his national team debut for Italy in 2009 under Marcelo Lippi and has since gone on to play 32 games for the Azzurri and bag one goal against Serbia in 2011.

10) 5 years ago Marchisio was linked with Manchester United. Old Lady launch £20m bid for the midfielder, but Marchisio refused to leave Juve.

“Today marks the end of Claudio Marchisio’s Juventus career following the agreed termination of his contract,” read a statement on Juve’s official website, in which the club paid a glowing tribute to their long-serving player.

“With every battle competed, every ripple of the net and every trophy raised, his childhood dreams kept coming true. In truth, we all lived our dreams side by side with Claudio. Watching him grow and become, year after year, a man, husband and father filled all of us Bianconeri with a unique sense of gratification.

“Having had the opportunity to accompany him on this path, to discover a homegrown champion, day by day, was quite simply a privilege and an honour.

“And it will be a pleasure to keep following him, with whichever shirt he will wear in the future. For the black and white stripes, as we know, will always form an indelible part of him and his story.

“Thanks for everything, Claudio! We wish you the very best.”

Source: HITC