Gianluigi Buffon

[Socrates 8386]

 

 

 

‘Buffon could have joined Barcelona’

 

 

http://www.football-italia.net/99956/‘buffon-could-have-joined-barcelona’

 

 

Mar 20, 2017

Tifosibianconeri English page - CLICK HERE

 

 

Gianluigi Buffon’s agent admits “there was an agreement between Parma and Barcelona but he chose Juventus”.

 

The goalkeeper joined the Bianconeri for a fee of £32m in 2001, but could have played for the Blaugrana.

 

“Yes, it was close,” Silvano Martina confirmed in an interview with TuttoJuve.

 

“There was already an agreement between Parma and Barcelona, but he chose Juventus.”

 

The 39-year-old broke the record for most Juve minutes this weekend, but has stated he intends to retire after next season.

 

“He’ll decide when the time comes, which is as it should be.

 

“Gigi is doing what he always does, there are years when makes more saves and years when he makes less but he’s very focused.

 

“Beyond saves, he’s a charismatic lad who gives a feeling of security.

 

“He’s said he takes days to get over a mistake? All goalkeepers feel that way, but he makes so few that he isn’t used to it!”

[Socrates 8386]

 

 

 

Juventus' Gianluigi Buffon breaks another record

 

 

http://www.espnfc.co.uk/club/juventus/111/blog/post/3086745/

juventus-gianluigi-buffon-breaks-another-record

 

 

Mar 20, 2017

Tifosibianconeri English page - CLICK HERE

 

 

Juventus won 1-0 away at Sampdoria in a match that left Max Allegri fuming at the final whistle. The Juve boss didn't like the way that after an exceptional first half, his side conceded chances after the break rather than simply administering the lead and remaining watertight. I thought his criticism was a bit over the top but you can see why he fears complacency.

Meanwhile, Gigi Buffon broke Giampiero Boniperti's record for Serie A minutes played in a Juventus jersey. It's one of those marks that seems a bit artificial but given his longevity and performances, it was inevitable that it would fall. So too, barring injury, will Paolo Maldini's mark for most Serie A appearances (647): Buffon is 33 short. If he's the starter next year (and he will be), it should be in the bag.

A more interesting question perhaps is whether he goes on to break Ale Del Piero's mark of 705 Juve appearances. At his current pace, he'd need to play on until the end of the 2018-19 campaign, when he'll be 41. It seems like a big ask but given that it's Buffon we're talking about, you reckon anything is possible.

If Buffon gets a game against Germany and/or Albania during this international break, he'll also set a new mark for most international caps by a UEFA player with 168. The world record, held by Egypt's Ahmed Hassan, is 184, which may or may not be out of reach.

One more Buffon factoid, since we're on a roll: he's 39, which makes him two years older than the combined age of the two other keepers called up by Italy: Gigi Donnarumma (18) and Alex Meret (19).

[Socrates 8386]

 

 

 

Buffon almost joined Barcelona over Juventus, says agent

 

 

The shot-stopper could have ended up at Camp Nou after the Catalans

struck an agreement with Parma, but he opted for the Old Lady.

 

http://www.goal.com/en-gb/news/3277/la-liga/2017/03/21/33852322/-

 

 

Mar 21, 2017

Tifosibianconeri English page - CLICK HERE

 

 

Iconic Juventus goalkeeper Gianluigi Buffon nearly joined Barcelona instead of the Serie A giants, his agent Silvano Martina revealed.

 

Buffon left Parma for Juventus in 2001 and the 39-year-old has since gone on to become one of the greatest keepers of all-time, winning seven Scudetti among other trophies.

 

However, Italy's most-capped player almost moved to Camp Nou following an agreement with the LaLiga powerhouse.

 

"Yes, it was close," Martina told TuttoJuve as Juve prepare to face Barca in the quarter-finals of the Champions League, starting April 11.

 

"There was an agreement between Parma and Barcelona, but he picked Juventus."

 

Buffon is out of contract at the end of next season and the veteran shot-stopper has shown no signs of slowing down.

 

He could play beyond the 2018 World Cup in Russia but Martina said: "I don't know [if he will play until he is 40].

 

"He will decide when it should be when the time comes."

 

Buffon has been a mainstay for five-time defending champions Juve this season, playing 25 Serie A games and 33 in all competitions.

 

[Socrates 8386]

 

 

 

‘Donnarumma is Buffon’s heir’

 

 

http://www.football-italia.net/99971/‘donnarumma-buffon’s-heir’

 

 

Mar 21, 2017

Tifosibianconeri English page - CLICK HERE

 

 

Nevio Scala, who gave Gianluigi Buffon his debut, says Milan’s Gigio Donnarumma is the Juventus goalkeeper “20 years ago”.

 

The Rossoneri number one made his debut at 16, drawing parallels with his namesake who made his first Parma appearance at 17.

 

“I look at the Milan goalkeeper and I see him [Buffon] 20 years ago,” Scala told Gazzetta dello Sport.

 

“He resembles him very much, he’s his heir.”

 

When Buffon takes to the pitch for Italy against Albania on Friday, it will be his 1000th first team game, and Scala was the man who gave him his first.

 

“It was Saturday night, the eve of the match. On Sunday we were playing against Milan, and I was losing sleep over it.

 

“In the end though I think the decision came from within me: he plays. Gigi plays.

 

“On the Tuesday that week, the starter Luca Bucci got injured. There were two left, Gigi and Alessandro Nista, the latter was the backup.

 

“Since that training session on the Tuesday, my goalkeeping Coach Enzo Di Palma and I had done the same things as always but we’d been casting a different eye over Buffon.

 

“We saw that no-one could score past him. No-one.

 

“So on that Saturday, after the session, I went to Enzo and said: ‘did you see what I saw?’.

 

“He said: ‘You don’t even need to say it’.

 

“I told Buffon on Saturday night at the training camp. It wasn’t easy to tell Nista that he’d be on the bench either, but I’d decided.

 

“That was the way it was going to be, even if I was torn with two doubts. The first was that Gigi was  phenomenon, but he was only 17-years-old.

 

“The second was the risk of being lynched by the club and the fans for making a choice like that against Milan.

 

“In short I went to Gigi and said: ‘what if I play you tomorrow?’.

 

“He said: ‘Boss, what’s the problem?’. It was mad, he was already an adult.

 

“The game ended scoreless and he made a fantastic save, I don’t remember if it was from [George] Weah or [Roberto] Baggio.

 

“The only thing I remember clearly is the buzz at the Tardini when the teams were read out. Everyone went: ‘ooooh’.

 

“If it had gone badly I think they’d have chased me out, but I was sure of every choice I’d made.

 

“After the game? I gave him compliments, I didn’t expect that he’d celebrate hugely after and that’s how it was. He was a lad with attention, sensibility and natural simplicity and he’s never lost that.

 

“He had innate qualities, agility and the right eye. He had the technique and he could read the situations in the game, the movements of the opposition, anticipating what would happen.

 

“Quite simply, he was a phenomenon.

 

“Do we still talk? We met two years ago in Parma for an event. I’m not someone who calls and makes a nuisance of himself, but I’m sure if we met again he’d give me a kiss and a hug.

 

“Will he retire in 2018? He’s an intelligent man, and he’ll choose the right time. It’s better to say goodbye when you’re cheered and applauded, and not go looking for a late career elsewhere or in Serie B.

 

“He’ll finish with Juventus, it’ll be when he wants but at the appropriate time. Because Gigi knows the perfect moment. He always has.”

[Socrates 8386]

 

 

 

Verdi: ‘Buffon gave me goosebumps’

 

 

 

http://www.football-italia.net/99991/verdi-‘buffon-gave-me-goosebumps’

 

 

Mar 21, 2017

Tifosibianconeri English page - CLICK HERE

 

Simone Verdi admits he got “goosebumps” when meeting Gianluigi Buffon on Italy duty.

 

The Bologna forward has been called-up to the latest Azzurri squad, and could win his first cap against Albania or the Netherlands.

 

By contrast, captain Buffon has received 167 caps so far, and will make play his 1000th senior match on Friday

 

“Until the other day you could only see these guys on television,” Verdi said in a Press conference at Coverciano.

 

“Then the other morning when Buffon came to greet us… I got goosebumps.”

[Socrates 8386]

 

 

 

Insigne: ‘I joked with Buffon’

 

 

 

http://www.football-italia.net/99993/insigne-‘i-joked-buffon’

 

 

Mar 21, 2017

Tifosibianconeri English page - CLICK HERE

 

Napoli’s Lorenzo Insigne reveals he “joked around a bit” with Juventus captain Gigi Buffon about recent controversy.

 

The Partenopei were beaten 3-1 in the first leg of the Coppa Italia semi-final, with a scandal over refereeing emerging in the wake of the match.

 

“Buffon? We joked around a bit,” Insigne told Rai.

 

“He’s a legend of world football, I hope he can help us young people and allow us to grow even more.”

[Socrates 8386]

 

 

 

Gianluigi Buffon is far from finished

after 1,000 games between the posts  

 

 

 

http://www.espnfc.co.uk/italian-serie-a/12/blog/post/3087608/gianluigi-buffon

-still-wants-the-champions-league-and-still-going-strong-after-1000-games

 

 

Mar 23, 2017

Tifosibianconeri English page - CLICK HERE

 

As Juventus flew to Portugal last month for the first leg of their round-of-16 tie with Porto, a club official approached Gigi Buffon and congratulated him. The Juventus captain was about to make his 100th appearance in the Champions League. "I'll be honest with you. I was a little upset about it," he joked. "I thought I had played a lot more of them. Let's just say it was a terrible blow to my ego."

It could have been more too. As his agent, (and former Genoa, Torino and Lazio keeper) Silvano Martina, revealed this week, Buffon had an agreement to join Barcelona in 2002. But that summer, he left Parma for Juventus instead, for what remains a world-record transfer fee for a goalkeeper. "Gigi" has been there ever since.

Had Buffon abandoned ship, like his former teammates Fabio Cannavaro, Lilian Thuram, Gianluca Zambrotta, Emerson and Zlatan Ibrahimovic, when Juventus were relegated in the 2006 Calciopoli scandal, he would have passed this landmark a long time ago. He might have even been part of the Milan side that won the competition in Athens the following season. But that just isn't Buffon.

 

One of the reasons he's considered one of football's truly great leaders is that everybody knows they can count on him to be there no matter what. The easy way out isn't for him. He stayed true to Juventus in their hour of need, going down to the second division at a time when he was the game's undisputed No. 1, just a few short weeks after lifting the World Cup and narrowly missing out on becoming the first goalkeeper since Lev Yashin to be awarded the Ballon d'Or. People should never forget that.

Because of his decision to stick by Juventus, on Sunday in Genova, he broke yet another record. During a gritty 1-0 win over a resurgent Sampdoria, the minutes Buffon has played for Juventus in Serie A finally ticked past those of Giampiero Boniperti, the Old Lady's legendary former striker and president who coined the club motto: "Winning isn't important. It's the only thing that counts."

"It's a great accomplishment," Buffon said. "It's down to a lot of things -- not just talent. I don't think talent is enough to have the kind of continuity I've had in my career. It's not an end point. I think -- or rather hope -- to be able to extend this record further and that I still have many important minutes left in my legs, my head, my heart and my hands."

From Genova, Buffon travelled back to Carrara, his hometown, for a Father's Day dinner with family. A toast was made to his achievement. Buffon's brother-in-law then ordered another bottle of bubbly. "What else are we celebrating?" Buffon asked. It wasn't anybody's birthday.

"We told him that his next appearance would be the 1,000th of his career," Guendalina, his eldest sister and a former European champion volleyball player, told La Gazzetta dello Sport. Fright night's World Cup qualifier against Gianni de Biasi's Albania in Palermo will be Buffon's millennial.

Already the most capped Italy international, Buffon joins an exclusive club of just 17 players to play 1,000 games. The list includes Paolo Maldini (whom he will surely surpass as Serie A's all-time appearance leader), Javier Zanetti, Ryan Giggs and Raúl. But it mostly features players in his position. The top three are goalkeepers: Peter Shilton, Rogerio Ceni and Ray Clemence.

Buffon is the 18th player to reach the 1,000-game mark but is far from finished.

"To be on the brink of this achievement gives me the feeling that I have been both fortunate and a professional," Buffon said.

He has been lucky in that he has generally avoided serious illness and injury. However, Buffon will be the first to tell you that it hasn't always been easy. He suffered a depressive episode from December 2003 to June 2004. Reflecting on that time in an interview with Kicker this week, he explained how important it was for him to resist the temptation to go on a course of medication to treat it.

"I remained master of my own destiny," he said, dependent on only himself to get through it.

Then in 2010, there were the back problems that forced him to miss the defence of Italy's World Cup and go under the knife.

Some wondered if he'd ever be the same, and for a time, his form did wobble. But it wasn't for long, and frankly, the past two seasons have been some of the best of Buffon's career; witness the run to the Champions League final in 2015 and the Serie A record he set for minutes without conceding (973) in 2016.

Of course, experience helps. Buffon acknowledges that he is a different goalkeeper than the one who burst onto the scene as a 17-year-old, with that jaw-dropping debut against the Milan of George Weah and Roberto Baggio. He has had to.

The game has changed. Goalkeepers are expected to play with their feet and start building the play from the back. As other members of his generation have declined, struggling to adapt with the evolution of the goalkeeper as an extra outfield player, Buffon has taken it all in stride.

Buffon intends to become the first player to represent his country at six World Cups. Gianluigi Donnarumma and Alex Meret are going to have to wait their turns, though the competition they provide keeps him young and spurs him on.

But the World Cup in Russia isn't the only dot on the horizon obscuring Buffon's plans for retirement. The other is the Champions League and ending his pursuit for a winners' medal.

Twice a runner-up, Buffon has been candid enough to admit that he might have already hung up his gloves if he'd been on the winning side in 2003 or 2015.

"I've been asking myself for years what drives me to keep playing," he said. "This inner conflict brings out strong motivations in me. If I had already won the Champions League, I would be drained. The fact that I am still yet to win it pushes me on."

Could this finally be the year? Juventus are the only unbeaten team in the Champions League. They haven't lost at home in the competition in almost four years and have won all of their games on the road this season. Barca, Real and Bayern remain the favourites, but they aren't what they once were.

But even if Juventus were to win for the first time since 1996 this year or next, it doesn't necessarily follow that Buffon would call it a day and take up a role upstairs, either with Juventus or as team manager of the national team, like his beloved Gigi Riva did for many years.

Buffon says he will carry on as long as his body will allow him to.

"I still do not feel like an old guy at the age of 38," Buffon said last year.

"Who knows? I might retire at the age of 65."

[Socrates 8386]

 

 

 

Buffon: ‘Another 1000 games!’

 

 

http://www.football-italia.net/100101/buffon-‘another-1000-games’

 

 

Mar 23, 2017

Tifosibianconeri English page - CLICK HERE

 

Gianluigi Buffon says “it’s a huge pleasure” to play his 1000th game and jokes “there will be another thousand!”

 

The Juventus and Italy goalkeeper will play his thousandth senior game against Albania tomorrow, and was asked in a Press conference at Coverciano if he still intends to retire after the 2018 World Cup.

 

“I don’t know, now I just have to think about the upcoming games,” Buffon shrugged.

 

“For the rest we’ll see, in life have objectives. It’s important to win, when you win big there’s a risk of being burned, we’ll think about things calmly, with no certainty of what will happen.

 

“The 1000 games? It’s a huge pleasure, I can tell you there will be another thousand!”

 

The Azzurri captain was also asked about tomorrow’s opponents, and assured they’re not being underestimated.

 

“There’s great respect for them, that’s not just some sort of rhetoric because they’ve shown how good they are in recent years.

 

“They did well at the Euros too. We’re aiming to win, without thinking about the Spain game.”

[Socrates 8386]

 

 

 

Buffon: ‘End with a headbutt!’

 

 

http://www.football-italia.net/100104/buffon-‘end-headbutt’

 

 

Mar 23, 2017

Tifosibianconeri English page - CLICK HERE

 

Gianluigi Buffon considers how he’ll finally end his career - “maybe I’ll headbutt someone on the pitch, like Zinedine Zidane…”

 

The goalkeeper will play his 1000th senior game when he takes to the pitch for Italy tomorrow, and has previously said he’ll retire after the 2018 World Cup.

 

Zidane famously headbutted Marco Materazzi in the 2006 World Cup final, and the Juventus and Italy captain joked he could end his playing career in the same way.

 

“How do I imagine my last ever game?” Buffon considered, speaking to Sky after today’s Press conference.

 

“Maybe I’ll go out like Zidane, headbutting someone on the pitch!

 

“But before I think about how I’ll end my career, we need to go to the World Cup in Russia in 2018. Maybe it [my last game] could be at the World Cup.

 

“I still have some time to think about it though.”

[Socrates 8386]

 

 

 

Buffon: ‘Bright future for Italy’

 

 

http://www.football-italia.net/100106/buffon-‘bright-future-italy’

 

 

Mar 23, 2017

Tifosibianconeri English page - CLICK HERE

 

Gianluigi Buffon assures “Italy won’t have any problems after me”, thanks to Gianluigi Donnarumma, Mattia Perin and Alex Meret.

 

The Azzurri captain plays his 1000th senior game tomorrow, but at the age of 39 he’s approaching the end of his illustrious career.

 

“It’s a great achievement, I’m happy but I won’t go onto the pitch with different emotions compared to my 999th game,” Buffon shrugged, speaking to Sky.

 

“The most exciting ones are always the first, whether it’s in Serei A or the national team.

 

“Donnarumma and Meret? I feel happy when I see them, I’m proud to still be here with them to see them grow and enjoy their huge potential.

 

“I’m happy that Italy won’t have any problems after me, with them plus Perin and [Emil] Audero I won’t have regrets.”

[Socrates 8386]

 

 

 

Gianluigi Buffon jokes about retiring

with Zinedine Zidane-style headbutt

 

 

http://www.espnfc.co.uk/italy/story/3088653/gianluigi-buffon-jokes

-about-bowing-out-with-zinedine-zidane-style-headbutt

 

 

Mar 24, 2017

Tifosibianconeri English page - CLICK HERE

 

 

Italy captain Gianluigi Buffon has joked that he may decide to finish his career with a headbutt like Zinedine Zidane did, as he prepares to make his 1,000th appearance on Friday.

Juventus goalkeeper Buffon, 39, will reach the milestone when he plays for Italy against Albania in Palermo, and three points are the objective as he aims to end his career with another shot at World Cup glory.

Buffon has previously hinted that he will retire after next year's World Cup, but speaking to Sky Sport Italia, he left a door open to extending his international career, while also joking that he could exit the stage in similar fashion to how Zidane bowed out with a headbutt on Marco Materazzi in the 2006 World Cup final.

"I don't even know if I'll retire after next year's World Cup," he said. "Of course I have objectives, but there are no certainties. Maybe I could even end my career with a headbutt like Zidane did. I could nut somebody -- who knows. I need to search deep within myself and work out how I feel. You can never say never, though.

"It's gratifying to hear compliments and niceties from people I know and people I don't. I'll have time to think about how I will spend my time [after retiring], but I'm not a melancholic who only thinks of the past, nor am I somebody who forgets everything. I just like to live the present serenely and now I'm thinking about this game, then I will decide what comes next later."

When Buffon does decide to step aside, he is confident Italy will be in safe hands with either Gianluigi Donnarumma or Alex Meret in line to succeed him.

"If you add their ages together, they don't even add up to mine," Buffon said. "I'm happy and proud to be here with them, to watch them grow and seeing the great potential that they have leaves me relaxed because I know that Italy are not going to have any problem replacing me in future."

[Socrates 8386]

 

 

 

Gianluigi Buffon is about to hit 1,000 career

appearances and he’s still going strong

 

 

http://www.blackwhitereadallover.com/2017/3/24/15034010/gianluigi-buffon-

2017-juventus-parma-italy-world-cup-qualifier-career-appearances-goat

 

 

Mar 24, 2017

Tifosibianconeri English page - CLICK HERE

 

 

In the days leading up to the start of the 2016-17 season, PUMA released a product to commemorate an anniversary. It was a product that one of their most prominent footballing endorsers, Gianluigi Buffon, used during one of the best four-week runs of goalkeeping that we will probably ever see. It was a pair of gloves used during an Italian triumph at the 2006 World Cup in Germany that put Buffon close to winning the biggest individual award, the Ballon d’Or, that this game knows.

The 10th anniversary of the Buffon V-Konstrukt gloves are just like the ones Buffon wore as he hoisted the World Cup trophy above his head in Berlin 10 ¹⁄₂ years ago. The timing was fitting, seeing as Buffon was just about to start yet another year in goal for Juventus and probably hit another handful of milestones along the way. That’s just how it works when it comes to Buffon. He can’t help but make history at this point. (He just overtook Giampiero Boniperti as Juventus’ leader for minutes in Serie A and will need just two more appearances to become Serie A’s second-highest capped player, trailing only Milan legend Paolo Maldini.)

Friday night, another one of the milestones he entered the season within reach of will officially be etched into Buffon’s lore. Here’s a hint as to what we might be getting at...

Juventus appearances: 612

Parma appearances: 220

Italian national team appearances: 167

I’ll save you the time of trying to do the math in your head or going to look for your phone or a calculator. Those three figures above add up to 999.

Nine-hundred-and-ninety-nine.

Nine-hundred-and-ninety-nine.

Nine-hundred-and-ninety-nine.

That means when Buffon leads Italy out of the tunnel against Albania in Palermo, he will hit yet another milestone — career appearance No. 1,000. Think about that for a second. One-thousand appearances for somebody who has now played two decades worth of football at the highest level both personally, at the club level and internationally. It’s a club that signifies both how well you’ve played over your career and also that you’ve been fortunate to stay incredibly healthy (for the most part) along the way. Buffon’s former teammate, Maldini, is part of the 1,000-appearance club. That’s no shocker knowing what his career was like for both club and country.

He may be closing in on his 40th birthday, but Gigi Buffon is still one cool cat.

 Photo by Claudio Villa/Getty Images

Milestones coming and going on a game-by-game basis seems like it’s the norm for Buffon these days. When you play as long as he has, accomplished as much as he has and been on a team that wins as much as Juventus has and currently does, it’s only natural that you’re going to have quite a lengthy list of career achievements.

But it just is different with Buffon. Maybe that’s my goalkeeper bias or long-standing fandom of that GOAT. Maybe that’s because he’s been with Juventus for so long and been at the center of so much of what the club has done since he arrived in the summer of 2001. Or maybe it’s because when we see that he’s 39 years old and previously stated that his career could very well come to a close at the 2018 World Cup in Russia. (Buffon has always been of the standing that his form and how he feels will dictate how long he plays, not simply his age.)

Or maybe it’s just because he can just casually give you a quite like this:

"It's a huge pleasure," Buffon said on Thursday about reaching the landmark, before joking, "I can tell you there will be another thousand."

[...]

"I'm just thinking about the next matches," he said when asked about retiring in 2018.

"In life we have objectives: It's important to win, (but) when you want to win big there's a risk of being burned. We'll think about things calmly."

(Source: The Associated Press)

We have seen Buffon deal with a serious injury that kept him out for quite some time (most notably after the 2010 World Cup in South Africa). We have seen get to the highest level of European club competition — twice — only to come up short in the Champions League final. That’s the one prize that has eluded Buffon his entire career — which makes these next two seasons, if they are his last, just that much more important and why Juve stating their European desires before the year make so much sense.

We can write all we want about what Buffon means to us personally or what he has meant to the club and it will all be true. If you play as long as he has and can still be considered one of the best around when your 40th birthday looms in the distance, you deserve every word of praise that you will get. Buffon has been a transcendent performer through one of Italy’s greatest generations of teams in 2006 and he’s now captaining what looks to be the start of a squad that is built around young talent.

The biggest thing when it comes to career appearance No. 1,000 will be Italy gets three points and move even closer to qualifying for Buffon’s sixth World Cup. Maybe a couple of saves will be in there. But what we know is that Buffon is about to add another milestone to the list of things few have accomplished in this game. Just another day in the life of San Gigi, I guess.

[Socrates 8386]

 

 

 

Buffon: 'Italy can beat Spain'

 

 

 

http://www.football-italia.net/100156/buffon-italy-can-beat-spain

 

 

Mar 24, 2017

Tifosibianconeri English page - CLICK HERE

 

Gigi Buffon celebrated his 1,000^th match with a 2-0 victory over Albania and assured Italy that Spain “are not unbeatable. We have to believe.”

 

The Azzurri remain joint top of the World Cup qualifying group, but trail on goal difference after Spain crushed Israel 4-1.

 

It means with all likelihood the decisive match will be in Spain on September 2, as they drew 1-1 in Turin last year.

 

“We certainly won’t be the favourites in Spain, but they are not unbeatable. No team is,” Buffon told TMW Radio and Sky Sport Italia.

 

“We are gambling a lot there and we know that. If we play with belief, the way we did after conceding a goal against Spain in Turin and the way we did in the Euros, then we can cause them real problems.

 

“In these games, an incident can go for you or against you. The important thing is to cultivate the belief we can achieve something great.”

 

The goalkeeper marked his 1,000^th career game with a clean sheet, seeing off Albania 2-0 in Palermo thanks to a Daniele De Rossi penalty and Ciro Immobile header.

 

“We had to overcome a few difficulties, considering the chances Albania created, but fortunately we didn’t pay a heavy price for those.

 

“As well as give our contribution on the field, we veterans of the squad have to transmit the right mentality to the younger members.”

 

The match with Albania was suspended for nine minutes in the second half when a group of travelling supporters repeatedly threw fireworks on to the pitch.

 

“It was a real shame. There were moments of great sporting unity and fair play throughout, but as often happens there’s always a small group of people who don’t like fair play and find the worst way to get themselves attention.”

[Socrates 8386]

 

 

 

Buffon: 'Ready for 2,000 games...'

 

 

 

http://www.football-italia.net/100210/buffon-ready-2000-games

 

 

Mar 26, 2017

Tifosibianconeri English page - CLICK HERE

 

Juventus and Italy legend Gigi Buffon celebrated his 1,000^th official match by pledging to be “ready to celebrate 2,000 appearances.”

 

The 39-year-old goalkeeper kept a clean sheet when Italy beat Albania 2-0 in Friday’s World Cup qualifier.

 

That was his 1,000^th competitive game between club and international level.

 

“You have been truly incredible: thank you to everyone,” wrote Buffon on Twitter.

 

“I will try to be ready to celebrate 2,000 appearances.”

 

He is expected to be on the bench in Tuesday’s friendly with the Netherlands, as 18-year-old Gianluigi Donnarumma is set to start in Amsterdam.

[Socrates 8386]

 

 

 

All-time great Buffon too old for MLS move, says Pirlo

 

 

The Juventus keeper made his 1000th professional appearance

on Friday and has been lauded by his former team-mate.

 

 

http://www.goal.com/en-us/news/66/united-states/2017/03/26/34024352/

all-time-great-buffon-too-old-for-mls-move-says-pirlo

 

 

Mar 26, 2017

Tifosibianconeri English page - CLICK HERE

 

Andrea Pirlo believes Gianluigi Buffon is the best goalkeeper of all-time, but thinks the Juventus icon is now too old to move to another club.

 

 

New York City midfielder Pirlo hailed Buffon after the shot-stopper reached 1000 professional appearances by playing for Italy against Albania on Friday.

 

But he does not think his former Juve team-mate – now 39 – will follow him to MLS due to his age, though he reiterated his view that the Italy number one is incomparable between the sticks.

 

Asked for his view on the best keeper in history, Pirlo told Corriere dello Sport: "For me, it is Buffon.

 

 

"We have been playing together since we were 15 years old in the Italy squad. We still speak often.

 

"What if he came to New York too? He is a bit old for that move now, but he is still the best."

 

 

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Pirlo named AC Milan keeper Gianluigi Donnarumma, who is being touted as Buffon's eventual Italy replacement, among a list of Italy's top young talents that he thinks can help the country challenge for future honours.

 

The playmaker said: "It is a quality generation coming through and these things do happen in football.

 

"Apart from Marco Verratti, who has already made his mark at club level, I really like Domenico Berardi of Sassuolo, Milan goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma, Juventus defender Daniele Rugani, Bologna's Federico Di Francesco and the Fiorentina pair Federico Chiesa and Federico Bernardeschi."

 

 

And Pirlo does not think clubs will go far wrong if they build themselves up with an Italian core.

 

"I have always said that it is fundamental to have a strong core of Italian players in a club squad," he added.

 

"At AC Milan we had that and we won. The same at Juventus. At Inter they had a core of Argentines who felt very Italian and they won.

 

"When there is a solid base of Italian players, those who come in take their example and then everyone is working in the same direction."

 

[Socrates 8386]

 

 

 

Toldo: 'Donnarumma in when Buffon decides'

 

 

 

http://www.football-italia.net/100251/toldo-donnarumma-when-buffon-decides

 

 

Mar 27, 2017

Tifosibianconeri English page - CLICK HERE

 

Former Italy goalkeeper Francesco Toldo insists Gianluigi Donnarumma will only get Azzurri chance 'when Gianluigi Buffon decides to quit'.

 

The 45-year-old replaced Buffon at Euro 2000, when the latter broke his hand in a warm-up match against Norway.

 

"I cheer for the youngsters, I even retired ahead of schedule to make room for those younger than me," the former Fiorentina goalkeeper told Radio Rai.

 

"Donnarumma has a great interpretation of the goalkeeping role, he’s a player that I like.

 

"Buffon knows what he wants, he knows even more so if he is already at the peak of his performances. He’s tried to improve not only on the pitch but also in front of the TV cameras.

 

"He wants to win what he lacks, his retirement depends on him and it's something that he will feel inside.

 

"Buffon may give advice to Donnarumma but he also jealously guards his position, the national team depends on Gigi Buffon and his choices have to be endorsed.

 

"If Donnarumma has the space he deserves, it will mean that Buffon has left him with it voluntarily.

[Socrates 8386]

 

 

 

 

What Buffon’s 1,000 Appearances Mean

 

He remains the world’s most expensive goalkeeper and he’s a Juventus icon,

but that doesn’t make Buffon’s milestone 1,000th appearance any less remarkable.

 

 

https://forzaitalianfootball.com/2017/03/what-buffons-1000-appearances-mean/

 

 

Mar 28, 2017

 

Tifosibianconeri English page - CLICK HERE

 

 

Gianluigi Buffon’s 1,000 appearance against Albania aptly ended with the 39-year-old keeping a clean sheet. He had relatively little to do but he was still able to show his usual gusto when representing the national team as he sung the anthem with enthusiasm and saluted the home fans at Palermo’s Stadio Renzo Barbera.

Buffon has done it all for the Azzurri, representing his country at all youth levels and winning an Under-21 European Championship, a Mediterranean Games and even competing in an Olympic Games.

Buffon’s emergence for the senior national team showed how he had huge faith placed in him from a young age. In the high-stakes setting of a World Cup qualifying playoff against Russia, it was Buffon who Cesare Maldini placed his faith in after Gianluca Pagliuca was ruled out through injury. The weight of the occasion was formidable but Buffon did his job in the snow as Italy held on for a 1-1 draw which sent them to France. Until recently, that made him the youngest goalkeeper to represent the Azzurri until his ‘apprentice’ Gianluigi Donnarumma broke that record and the AC Milan prodigy wasn’t even born when his role model set it in 1997.

Until recently, that made him the youngest goalkeeper to represent the Azzurri until his ‘apprentice’ Gianluigi Donnarumma broke that record and the AC Milan prodigy wasn’t even born when his role model set it in 1997.

Italy have never been short on goalkeeping talent and they’re certainly not now but it’s almost impossible to think of anything other than Buffon between the sticks. At EURO 2000, Francesco Toldo was incredible after Buffon broke his hand. Toldo made the starting spot his own on the back of his displays in France and Belgium, including the stunning display against the Netherlands. Yet, it took only four qualifying matches for Buffon to earn back a starting berth in the next qualifying campaign.

For all his triumphs at Juventus, the 2006 World Cup remains the pique of his career as he second a record for goals conceded as he won the Yashin Award. The only goals he conceded came from dead ball situations and he made a vital save from Zinedine Zidane’s header to preserve the deadlock during the nervy period of extra time. The sight of Buffon lifting the World Cup trophy remains evermore iconic on account of his lack of Champions League success but if anything, it seems more appropriate for him to have won the greatest international prize rather than the top honour in club football.

While Buffon is now almost universally adored as a great goalkeeper, there were tougher times. At Parma, he was criticised for wearing 88 as a number with fascist connotations before changing it and that seems to be a result of naivety more than anything.

More seriously, in 2003 and 2004 he was seeking treatment for depression. Buffon remains one of the few players to publicly discuss his issues and he couldn’t see why he was struggling seemingly at random when otherwise a happy and successful. With help from a psychologist despite his initial reservations about the value of the trade, the goalkeeper was able to beat his problems and come out on the other side.

His ability to overcome adversity shows why he remains such a valuable player after making 1,000 appearances. He can adapt and change. When Juventus were relegated to Serie B after Calciopoli, Buffon was the main star who stayed and that loyalty just boosts his reputation further. As he started to age, he changed his diet and goalkeeping style as his athleticism dropped. Now, he’s a more static goalkeeper who might not make as many spectacular saves but he remains integral to his side. The lonely nature of being in goal for such strong sides would cause problems for other goalkeepers with weaker concentration but not Buffon.

In Italy squads, the new players almost always speak of being inspired or even starstruck at seeing Buffon for the first time. That’s where Buffon is now and how he’s made so many professional appearances. He leads and that’s a vital skill for any team, especially one as defensively strong as Juventus. To discuss his goalkeeping ability now is almost redundant that he will go down as one of the greatest. Few players represent their country with as much distinction as Buffon and that’s as much to do with how he speaks and conducts himself as it is to do with how he plays.

[Socrates 8386]

 

 

 

Maldini: ‘Donnarumma just like Buffon’

 

 

 

http://www.football-italia.net/100307/maldini-‘donnarumma-just-buffon’

 

 

Mar 28, 2017

Tifosibianconeri English page - CLICK HERE

 

Paolo Maldini confirms Milan goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma reminds him of Gigi Buffon - “he has something that you see immediately”.

 

The former defender played against Buffon on his Serie A debut for Parma, with the then 17-year-old holding Maldini’s Milan to a 0-0 draw.

 

Donnarumma made his debut at an even younger age, 16, and the Rossoneri legend sees shades of the current Azzurri captain in his namesake.

 

“He’s talented, he’s gifted,” Maldini said when asked about Donnarumma on Grant Wahl’s Planet Futbol podcast.

 

“We’ve known since he was 12-13 because he was playing for the youth team and he has something that you see immediately if you know about football.

 

“I saw Buffon make his debut in Serie A against Milan, we drew 0-0 and he was incredible. I can see the same with Donnarumma, and he’s even bigger, but he’s fast.

 

“He’s a nice guy so that’s important because now they’re throwing numbers around him and you have to be a good guy to stay calm and think only about what you have to do on the field.

 

“When I see games I say 90 per cent of people who watch games with me don’t see ‘it’.

 

“I think you have to be a professional player to understand - and sometimes even if you are a professional player you don’t understand.

 

“So it’s very hard to explain, but there are some players where it takes one minute to see that they’re gifted.”

[Socrates 8386]

 

 

 

Donnarumma: 'Buffon great advice'

 

 

 

http://www.football-italia.net/100326/donnarumma-buffon-great-advice

 

 

Mar 28, 2017

Tifosibianconeri English page - CLICK HERE

 

Gianluigi Donnarumma made history as the youngest ever goalkeeper to start for Italy. “I thank Gigi Buffon for all the advice he gives me in training.”

 

The Milan shot-stopper already had two caps, but he played from the first minute in tonight’s 2-1 friendly victory over the Netherlands in Amsterdam.

 

“I am very happy for this evening, the way the game went. At the start after the goal we got back together, started playing the way we did at the beginning and realised it was just a moment of bad luck,” he told Rai Sport.

 

“I am very happy to have made my full debut, but Gigi’s still there. I thank him for all the advice he gives me in training. I am proud to wear this jersey.

 

“Buffon told me to just relax, do what I’m doing and not try to invent anything new, as what I do already is fine.

 

“I am so proud to be here, I work hard week after week to improve, because you never stop learning. I soak in all the advice that I receive.

“I dedicate this night to my family and my girlfriend.”

 

Donnarumma was asked if he was at all tempted by the number of interesting proposals coming in from other clubs.

 

“Tonight I want to enjoy the Nazionale, from tomorrow we’ll start to think about and prepare for the game with Pescara.”

[Socrates 8386]

 

 

 

Buffon: ‘This is why we play’

 

 

 

http://www.football-italia.net/100350/buffon-‘-why-we-play’

 

 

Mar 29, 2017

Tifosibianconeri English page - CLICK HERE

 

Gianluigi Buffon is unfazed by Juventus’ schedule in April - “we’re playing a lot, but this is what we work for”.

 

The Bianconeri face Napoli twice in the next week, before taking on Barcelona in the Champions League on April 11 and 19.

 

“We’re playing a lot, but this is what we work for,” Buffon told reporters after a Head & Shoulders event.

 

“We have nine months of work behind us. This is the best part, and we want to go through it as protagonists.

 

“Napoli? We go there as others go there, there’s nothing to complain about. If we’re better then we’ll win.

 

“As for Barcelona, there’s the hope of fighting to the end. We had the luck and the skill to earn these two matches.

 

“If we go out or we go through, we’ll look at and accept the two outcomes.”

 

There was controversy around Andrea Barzagli this week, as the centre-back left the Italy squad for personal reasons before being pictured in a Riccione nightclub, though the DJ who took the photo later confirmed “Andrea was having dinner with his wife and their children”.

 

“Barzagli didn’t leave the training camp because of a stomach ache or a broken leg, but for personal problems.

 

“If he went out for dinner then that’s a good thing.”

 

Following the event, the goalkeeper also spoke to Sky about this weekend’s Serie A trip to Napoli.

 

“We’ve been in a good period of success in the run-up to this game,” Buffon said.

 

“We’ll be facing a Napoli who are very formidable as a team and as a rival. We’ll be very enthusiastic, but with the proper attention a team like Napoli deserve to be shown.”

[Socrates 8386]

 

 

 

Ter Stegen: 'Buffon a worldwide legend'

 

 

 

http://www.football-italia.net/100764/ter-stegen-buffon-worldwide-legend

 

 

Apr 7, 2017

Tifosibianconeri English page - CLICK HERE

 

Barcelona goalkeeper Marc-Andre Ter Stegen insists that Gianluigi Buffon is a 'worldwide legend'.

 

The 24-year-old spoke ahead of the Champions League quarter final first leg with Juventus next Tuesday evening.

 

But does he feel like he is currently the best goalkeeper in the world?

 

"Well, this is something that must be answered by others," the goalkeeper told Tuttosport. "However it is clear that I believe in order to stay here you have to have quality.

 

"All goalkeepers who are playing for great teams are doing so through their performance. Clause of €80m? I don’t believe that the terms are all that important, what matters to me is that there is good feeling between myself and the club and that I’m confident that I'm playing well.

 

"These things are the most important and I do not like to talk about €80m. Playing here, at one of the best clubs in the world, is the aim that every ambitious player. Barca is different from other clubs it is more than a club.

 

"Thanks to the quality of organically grown players, it allows you to compete every year for exceptional titles and trophies."

 

Dani Alves made the move from Barca to Juventus this summer, so what does his former teammate think about this?

 

"I do not know exactly why Dani Alves decided to leave. But he was fine here in Barcelona, he won a lot, and now plays for a team that has equal quality and I think for him it has been a good experience on a personal as well as a professional level.

 

"Therefore, yes, I suppose that his decision was not only motivated by sport but also on personal reflection."

 

Does Ter Stegen think that Manuel Neuer is still the best in the world?

 

"Manuel has a safe place as the number one because he played very well in the past. The number one jersey is his, although of course this does not mean that he should not continue to consistently demonstrate his qualities. We are behind him but will try to put pressure on him."

 

Playing against Juventus means that the German will match up with counterpart Gianluigi Buffon. What are his thoughts on the 39-year-old?

 

"He’s a legend, not only in Italy, but all over the world. He's playing still at an age where normally you can no longer be able to offer certain performance levels, and instead ... he is proving to everyone you can do it. He offers great performances.

 

"For me he is an idol, but not only for me, for all the goalkeepers, and he’s a good person.

 

"I've always liked to have a unique style, but there are things like the mentality and charisma that I especially appreciated in Oliver Kahn.

 

"Lionel Messi says I have ‘special feet’? I thank him, I'm trying to do the best for the team and playing with my feet helps both the team and myself."

[Socrates 8386]

 

 

 

Mirante: ‘Buffon the best ever’

 

 

 

http://www.football-italia.net/101375/mirante-‘buffon-best-ever’

 

 

Apr 20, 2017

Tifosibianconeri English page - CLICK HERE

 

Bologna goalkeeper Antonio Mirante hails Juventus’ Gianluigi Buffon - “when he stops we’ll say he was the greatest”.

 

The 33-year-old began his career with the Bianconeri alongside Buffon, making seven appearances in Serie B after the Calciopoli scandal.

 

While he was unable to unseat the Italy captain, Mirante bears no grudges over his time in Turin.

 

“Working with Buffon was a school,” the Rossoblu ‘keeper told Gazzetta dello Sport.

 

“When he stops playing we’ll say he was the greatest. He has never bowed the pressure or criticism and he’s someone who never allows himself to miss even one training session.

 

“He’s an incredible athlete, and the goalkeeper’s role is the hardest. You have to be a perfect athlete.”

[Socrates 8386]

 

 

 

 

Buffon 'pledged to retire after Barca'

 

 

 

http://www.football-italia.net/101837/buffon-pledged-retire-after-barca

 

 

Apr 29, 2017

Tifosibianconeri English page - CLICK HERE

 

Gigi Buffon reveals he had pledged to “quit football this season if I kept a clean sheet against Barcelona over two legs,” but Juventus made him take it back.

 

The 39-year-old goalkeeper was relatively untroubled over 180 minutes of their Champions League quarter-final, winning 3-0 in Turin and securing a 0-0 draw at Camp Nou.

 

“I had promised to quit football at the end of the season if I kept a clean sheet against Barcelona over two legs,” the captain told Sky Sport Italia.

 

“I told the President (Andrea Agnelli) and he said at times in life we say stupid things, not to worry and move on. So I had to take the promise back. The President has more experience than me and gave me good advice.

 

“Keeping a clean sheet against the Spaniards was very satisfying, because it was earned and shared with the group, with the lads in defence and all the others who ran their socks off to ensure we came away unharmed from those two games.”

 

Next up is Monaco in Wednesday’s semi-final, but last night there were a few scares in Juve’s 2-2 Serie A draw away to Atalanta.

 

“Yesterday’s match shows us that you can’t take anything for granted or let anything go when it comes to focus, because otherwise you will pay a heavy price. That is the glass-half-empty way of seeing it.

 

“On the other hand, the glass-half-full way is that, despite having a poor approach in the first half, we still came closer to winning this game than we did to losing it. That says a lot about our quality.

 

“The 2-2 result isn’t setting off any alarm bells and if anything will do us good going forward. A victory might’ve made us feel we could do without those characteristics we need for tough games.

 

“If you don’t put in the effort that the match demands, that ferocity, determination and unity of intent, then you’ll struggle against anyone.”

[Socrates 8386]

 

 

 

 

Buffon: ‘I promised to quit if I kept

a clean sheet against Barca’

 

 

 

http://www.juvefc.com/buffon-promised-quit-kept-clean-sheet-barca/

 

 

Apr 30, 2017

Tifosibianconeri English page - CLICK HERE

 

 

Gigi Buffon reveals he promised to quit football this season if he kept a clean sheet against Barcelona over two legs.

The veteran keeper kept 2 clean sheets in the two-legged Champions League tie but was convinced to go back on his pledge by Juventus management.

“I had promised to quit football at the end of the season if I kept a clean sheet against Barcelona over two legs,” Buffon told Sky Sport Italia.

“I told the President and he said at times in life we say stupid things, not to worry and move on. So I had to take the promise back. The President has more experience than me and gave me good advice.

“Keeping a clean sheet against the Spaniards was very satisfying, because it was earned and shared with the group, with the lads in defence and all the others who ran their socks off to ensure we came away unharmed from those two games.

“The match against Atalanta shows us that you can’t take anything for granted or let anything go when it comes to focus, because otherwise you will pay a heavy price. That is the glass-half-empty way of seeing it.

“On the other hand, the glass-half-full way is that, despite having a poor approach in the first half, we still came closer to winning this game than we did to losing it. That says a lot about our quality.

“The 2-2 result isn’t setting off any alarm bells and if anything will do us good going forward. A victory might’ve made us feel we could do without those characteristics we need for tough games.

“If you don’t put in the effort that the match demands, that ferocity, determination and unity of intent, then you’ll struggle against anyone.”

[Socrates 8386]

 

 

 

 

Guardians of the Football Galaxy: Gigi Buffon as Thanos

 

 

http://www.espnfc.co.uk/club/juventus/111/blog/post/3117983/

guardians-of-the-football-galaxy-gigi-buffon-as-thanos

 

 

May 3, 2017

Tifosibianconeri English page - CLICK HERE

 

He's pushing 40, but hold Buffon's age against him at your own risk. Like Thanos, who oozes experience and an imperious drive to succeed, Juve's charismatic keeper has developed such a mastery over his surroundings (a.k.a. the penalty area) that he can thwart any opponent with brains or brawn. Underestimate either and you're finished.