16 May 2022
Dear Giorgio,
We’ve held back from writing this farewell message until now because in a corner of our hearts we hoped that this moment would never have arrived.
Instead, as we know, all good things come to an end, but life goes on with new adventures to embark on and blank pages to fill.
In these 17 years, Giorgio, you have written wonderful chapters of club history, and we intend to take advantage of these last few days in which you will be wearing our shirt to look back on them, if possible, one by one - because you have been a great, as we firmly believe you will continue to be, on or off the football field.
You have been a great in your ability to have been a constant point of reference. We have come to expect from you a smile, the right advice, a word in the ear just when it was most needed.
You have been a great in your passion on the pitch from the minute on that evening in 2005 when you first stepped onto the field in the black and white stripes.
You have been a great in your ability to grow year after year, able to reach incredible milestones and become one of the best defenders not only of your time, but of all time.
You have been a great to become King Kong on the pitch, unbeatable one on one, reading the play ahead of time to anticipate every ball, while you have remained a warm, reserved and genuine person off the pitch.
You have been a great because you have been able to transmit your and our values, commitment, professionalism, dedication and a sense of belonging to the shirt. The young players see it, they see you, and they feel honored to work with you, just as we all are to have spent these incredible seventeen years together.
You have seen that we haven’t dwelled on listing the medals you have won, the trophies you have raised or the awards you have earned, because those remain written in books. What we want to describe tonight, and throughout the week, so it remains forever, is your greatness as a person other than a sportsman.
It is not common to meet someone like you, Giorgio, so enjoy your party. Who knows what the future holds, but as absence makes the heart grow fonder, our bond can only grow stronger.
Because Giorgio, you have been a true great.
