The summer sun beats down on Forte dei Marmi, but Federico Chiesa feels the chill of stagnation. His second season at Liverpool has ended, and the numbers don't lie: 726 minutes, three goals. For a player of his pedigree, it is an insult. "I started well, with minutes and goals, and I was happy," Chiesa admits, his voice tight with frustration. "But the year ended differently than expected. Football is also about this." Now, as he prepares for training camps in the United States, the Italian winger is screaming for action. He wants to be back in the spotlight, preferably wearing the blue jersey of Italy and the black-and-white stripes of Juventus.

The Liverpool Limbo

Why did the dream turn into a nightmare of bench-warming? "Playing time," Chiesa says bluntly. "From the start of 2026, I played very little." He insists his relationship with the club remains strong. In January, manager Arne Slot and the board told him he couldn't leave due to squad depth issues. "We were in an exceptional situation," he explains, recalling how they helped him lift the Premier League trophy last year. "I stayed with a smile, after all, we are talking about Liverpool. And yet..." Yet the door to Juventus was left ajar. Liverpool informed him, but negotiations with Juventus failed to materialize. The dream of returning to Turin remains just that: a dream.

World Cup Wounds and National Team Pride

The silence around his absence from Italy's World Cup playoff matches in March was deafening. "Gennaro Gattuso already said it, and I thank him," Chiesa says, defending his fitness status. "Rino is a fantastic person, a rarity in football. Unfortunately, injuries happen, and I arrived in Coverciano with physical problems." He was sent home by doctors and missed over a week with Liverpool. "I understand people might think otherwise, but I have won with the national team! Some sometimes forget... I play football for a long time, I don't even comment on the countless insults on social media." The only true pain was watching Italy miss the World Cup. "I am very attached to the blue jersey and I suffered. I didn't even want to watch the penalties, I was tense. I'm sorry for my teammates, the coach, and all of Italy. We were sure we would qualify on the day of the gathering in Coverciano. We must look forward."

Is the national team chapter closed? "No, I want to return as a leading character, but to succeed, I need to play more than a thousand minutes a season in my club. Playing so little, I stand still in my development." When asked about potential new managers like Roberto Mancini, Antonio Conte, or Pep Guardiola, he shrugs. "None of the three would surprise me." For the 2026/27 season, the message is clear: "I repeat: I want to play. If I don't find consistency in the Premier League, I have to look elsewhere." He will head to pre-season in the US, then speak with new coach Andoni Iraola. "Comò is an option? I am open to everything, the important thing is to play." He praises Xabi Alonso's work at Comò but admits sadness that Juventus missed the Champions League. "Yes, I'm surprised, because with the arrival of Luciano Spalletti, whom I had..." The sentence hangs, unfinished, like his career at Liverpool.