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 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.
Note: this episode was filmed in October 2025 with a plan to publish the conversation around the World Cup.
Show Notes
00:00 Split Second Decision
01:06 A Message from Our Sponsor, Ultimus
02:10 Meet Giorgio Chiellini
04:17 What Is the Juventus Creator Lab
04:36 Building Fans Through Content
05:27 Football Brand Goes Global
06:15 Revenue From Winning
06:43 Two Hearts One Club
07:52 Winning Versus Storytelling
08:40 Fans Everywhere Now
09:27 Too Many Games Problem
09:51 Stakeholders and Calendar
11:00 Owner Advice Communication
11:28 From Kid to Club
14:12 Film Study for Matches
15:02 The Saka Tactical Foul
17:26 Social Media and Mental Health
29:32 US World Cup Reality
29:45 Grassroots Long Game
30:09 MLS and USL Momentum
30:14 Stadiums and Growth
30:20 MLS Season vs Playoffs
30:46 Supporters Shield Incentives
31:11 Travel and Rest Mentality
31:33 Europe Stakes Comparison
31:54 Highlights Era Question
32:24 Bite-Sized Sports Culture
33:40 Choosing What to Watch
33:55 Sports Must Adapt
34:33 Owners Business View
35:15 TV Rights and Strategy
36:05 Institutional Money Trend
36:42 Why Funds Love Sports
37:04 Balancing Profit and Emotion
38:12 Fiduciary Duty vs Winning
39:15 Permanent Capital Advantage
40:42 Mission Values Legacy
41:54 Juventus DNA and Family
44:31 Leadership Lessons Learned
45:38 From Captain to Executive
47:05 Humanity and Energy
48:21 Player to Business Challenges
50:00 Investing in Italian Startups
51:47 How He Picks Investments
52:43 Innovation and AI in Sport
53:16 Favorite Alternative Investment
54:34 Profitability and Winning
55:21 Closing
A Word from Our Sponsor, Ultimus
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We thank Ultimus for their support of alts going mainstream.
Editing and post-production work for this episode was provided by The Podcast Consultant.
