Soccer: It's been a dream says Marchisio

(ANSA) - Turin, October 3 - Claudio Marchisio said his career had been a "dream" as he officially announced he was hanging up his boots Thursday.
    "It wasn't an easy night, I was looking for a word to sum everything up, and that word is dream," said the 33-year-old former Juventus and Italy midfielder at the Gianni and Umberto Agnelli room in the Allianz Stadium in Turin.
    "I've taken the decision to retire: an important, pondered, very difficult decision," he said.
    "This is a special place for me and I thanks Juventus," said Marchisio, who spent last season at Zenit St Petersburg.
    He also said he was looking forward to seeing Juve beat off Serie A title rivals Inter to win their ninth straight scudetto this season. Marchision said he would also "love" to see Juve beat Inter in the 'derby of Italy' on Sunday night, spoiling the Nerazzurri's perfect start to the season and helping the Bianconeri squeeze past them in the standings.
    Marchisio is hanging up his boots after almost 20 years at Juventus man and boy, and a year at Zenit.
    The former Italy star won seven straight Serie A titles with Juve from 2012 to 2018.
    Turin-born Marchisio joined the Turin giants from Empoli in 2008 and played 269 times and scored 33 goals for them until 2018, also winning four straight Italian Cups.
    He played 55 times for Italy between 2009 and 2017, scoring five times.