LOS ANGELES (AP) — Italian soccer great Giorgio Chiellini will be returning to Los Angeles FC as part of the club’s ownership group, the team said Tuesday.
The 40-year-old Chiellini, who spent nearly two decades playing for Italian club Juventus before joining LAFC in 2022, also spent time as a player development coach with the MLS team in 2024.
“Joining the LAFC ownership group is a great honor for me,” Chiellini said in a statement released by the team. “When I arrived here three years ago as a player, I immediately felt that there was something special about this club. It is an ambitious organization, built by extraordinary people and supported by a community that truly makes you feel at home. That is why, last year, I expressed my desire to become an owner, and now I’m proud to continue this journey and give my support to a project I deeply believe in.”
Chiellini, one of the best defenders in the world during his 23-year professional career, retired in 2023. He won nine consecutive Serie A championships with Juventus and the Euro 2020 title with the Italian national team. His final two seasons were spent with LAFC, where he appeared in 45 matches, including seven in the MLS Cup Playoffs and three in the 2023 Leagues Cup.
During his many years with Juventus, Chiellini earned Serie A Defensive Player of the Year honors three times in addition to being named to the Italian league's Team of the Year five times.
AP soccer: https://apnews.com/soccer
FILE - Los Angeles FC defender Giorgio Chiellini clears the ball during the first half in the MLS playoff Western Conference final soccer match against Houston Dynamo, Dec. 2, 2023, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Marcio Jose Sanchez, File)
FILE - Los Angeles FC defender Giorgio Chiellini waves prior to the team's MLS soccer match against FC Dallas in Los Angeles, June 29, 2022. (AP Photo/Ringo H.W. Chiu, File)
DENVER (AP) — A Frontier Airlines plane hit and killed a pedestrian on the runway of the Denver International Airport during takeoff, airport authorities said, sparking an engine fire and forcing passengers to evacuate.
The plane, on route from Denver to Los Angeles International Airport, “reported striking a pedestrian during takeoff at DEN at approximately 11:19 p.m. on Friday," the airport's official X account wrote.
A spokesperson for the airport said the pedestrian, who jumped a perimeter fence, has died. They said the unidentified person was hit two minutes after entering the airport. The person is not believed to be an airport employee.
“We're stopping on the runway,” the pilot tells the control tower according to the site ATC.com. “We just hit somebody. We have an engine fire.”
The pilot tells the air traffic controller they have “231 souls” on board and that an “individual was walking across the runway.”
The air traffic controller responds that they are “rolling the trucks now" before the pilot tells the tower they “have smoke in the aircraft. We are going to evacuate on the runway.”
Frontier Airlines said in a statement flight 4345 was the one involved in the collision and that “smoke was reported in the cabin and the pilots aborted takeoff.” It was not clear whether the smoke was linked to the crash with the pedestrian.
“The Airbus A321 was carrying 224 passengers and seven crew members,” the airline said. “We are investigating this incident and gathering more information in coordination with the airport and other safety authorities.”
Passengers were then evacuated via slides and the emergency crew bused them to the terminal. The airport spokesperson said 12 passengers suffered minor injuries and five were taken to local hospitals.
Denver Airport said the National Transportation Safety Board had been notified and that runway 17L, where the incident took place, will remain closed while an investigation is conducted. It is expected to open later today.
The pedestrian death came a day after a Delta Air Lines employee was killed while on the job at the Orlando International Airport. In a statement, the airline said the employee was killed Thursday night without providing details of the incident nor the name of the employee.
“We are focused on extending our full support to family and taking care of our Orlando team during this difficult time,” the airline said. "We are working with local authorities as a full investigation gets underway to determine what occurred.”
FILE - A Frontier Airlines jetliner taxis down a runway for take off from Denver International airport on Nov. 25, 2025, in Denver. (AP Photo/David Zalubowski, File)
