Mattia Caldara has officially brought down the curtain on his football career at just 31 years old, leaving behind a story filled with both joy and hardship. His journey was marred by injuries, particularly after his move to AC Milan, which ultimately compromised the later stages of his path in the game. In a heartfelt letter published on Gianluca Di Marzio’s website, Caldara revealed the biggest regret of his career: his decision to leave Juventus just months after joining, to accept Milan’s offer.
Signed by Juventus in January 2017, Caldara spent the remainder of that season on loan at Atalanta. He then joined Juventus for the 2018 pre-season but stayed only a few weeks before Milan secured his services in a swap deal that saw Leonardo Bonucci return to Turin.
Reflecting on those times in an interview with Goal, Caldara expressed candidly:
“Many teams were interested in me in those months. In December, I was signed by Juventus. And at that time, Juventus was a unique entity, unapproachable. However, I never played for Juventus. I stayed on loan in Bergamo, and that was the right thing to do. I wasn’t ready for that kind of move yet. I then arrived in Turin in 2018, but I didn’t stay. I was coming off seasons where I was used to playing, and there I had Chiellini, Bonucci, and Barzagli in front of me. ‘Be patient, Mattia. Stay here,’ Giorgio kept telling me. But I knew I wouldn’t find a place. I stayed for a few weeks, just for the summer retreat. When I heard about Milan’s interest, I accepted.”
His admission was striking in its self-awareness:
“Looking back, it would have been better to stay there. I was mentally weak. It would have done me good to stay in a world like Juve, learn from those champions, grow by being with them even without playing much. I lacked a bit of mental strength and maturity. Maybe my career would have been different, who knows. That is my greatest regret, the only thing I would change if I could go back. You see, the injuries and everything that followed wasn’t down to me. Not staying at Torino was.”
