Welcome back to the Alt Goes Mainstream podcast.
We went to a mecca of football to film the latest episode. This conversation takes us to Turin, Italy, where we were in the Juventus Creator Lab with Italian football (I mean soccer for the Americans) legend and one of the best defenders of all time Giorgio Chiellini.
Giorgio’s career and playing style were defined by Juventus’ very motto, fino alla fine (“until the end”). It’s also a mentality that he brings to every aspect of life on and off the pitch.
After an illustrious playing career at one of the world’s biggest clubs, Juventus, and a career that also included two World Cup appearances for Italy and winning the Euro 2020 as the Captain of Italy, Giorgio came back home to Turin rejoin the club where he starred for 17 years: Juventus. Giorgio has gone from the pitch to the boardroom, helping to lead Juventus as the Director of Football Strategy. He has brought the player’s perspective to the business side of football, balancing the nuances of sports and business.
Despite the demands that Giorgio faced on the field as a player to maintain a standard of play at the highest levels of the game, he found time during his career to pursue his passion for business. He received his MBA while playing for Juventus and also was involved in the player development side in his final years as a player at LAFC. More recently, he became an investor in LAFC and in Mercury13, a multi-club investor in women’s football teams, including FC Como. He’s also an active investor in the European startup community.
Giorgio and I had a wide-ranging and fascinating conversation that covered several dimensions of the business of sport. We discussed:
How can sports clubs chase the trifecta, in Giorgio’s view: “sustainable, profitable, and a winner?”
How teams, owners, and investors can balance both the sport and business aspects of the game.
What it means for sports now that players can have bigger social followings than their clubs or leagues.
How Juventus has built and amplified its brand through initiatives like the Creator Lab.
How clubs like Juventus can help players build their off-field brand while maintaining a high-quality on-field product.
How Giorgio’s work off the field while playing informed how he wanted to spend his time post-career in business.
What Giorgio’s day-to-day is like as Director of Football Strategy for Juventus.
Why Giorgio invested in LAFC and what he thinks about the future of the MLS.
What American owners and investors can learn from European soccer clubs and owners, and what European clubs and owners can learn from American owners and investors.
Thanks, Giorgio, for sharing your wisdom, expertise, and enthusiasm at the intersection of sports and business and fino alla fine.
Note: this episode was filmed in October 2025 with a plan to publish the conversation around the World Cup.
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Show Notes
00:00 Split Second Decision
01:06 A Message from Our Sponsor, Ultimus
02:10 Meet Giorgio Chiellini
04:31 What Is the Juventus Creator Lab
05:12 Clubs Becoming Global Brands
05:33 Football Business Then vs Now
05:47 Global Reach and Media Rights
06:22 Brand Value and Revenue Streams
07:52 On-Pitch vs Off-Pitch Business
08:23 Winning vs Storytelling
08:59 Global Fans and Virtuous Cycle
09:49 Too Many Games Problem
10:16 Stakeholders and Calendar Control
11:31 Communication Fixes Tension
12:02 Player to Management Journey
13:49 Why He Studied While Playing
18:19 Mental Health and Social Media
31:14 US Soccer Outlook
31:40 Grassroots Takes Time
32:04 MLS and USL Growth
32:23 MLS Season Motivation
32:39 Supporters Shield Math
33:15 Travel and Rotation
33:42 Europe vs MLS Stakes
34:04 Highlights Culture Shift
35:16 How Fans Watch Now
36:15 Sports Must Adapt
36:54 Owners Business Response
37:11 Leagues Changing Formats
37:47 TV Rights Going Global
38:37 Institutional Money Trend
39:14 Why Investors Love Sports
39:54 Balancing Profit and Growth
40:44 Sport Is Emotional
40:51 Fiduciary Duty vs Winning
42:01 Permanent Capital Juventus
44:58 Mission Culture Values
46:22 Club and City Identity
47:49 Leadership Lessons Learned
Editing and post-production work for this episode was provided by The Podcast Consultant.
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