Gianluigi Buffon (19 Viewers)

[K.O.]

Win it for Gigi!

http://www.football-italia.net/101319/win-it-gigi

The Champions League with Juventus is the only moment still missing from Gigi Buffon’s career, writes Richard Thomas.

Such has been the relentlessness of the Old Lady's recent domination of calcio that only another genuine challenge in Europe's premier club competition will be enough to completely satisfy expectation. And, if Juve do finally add to European Cups won in 1985 and 1996 to record what Bianconeri fans will regard as an overdue third triumph, few will have deserved it more than Gigi Buffon.

There is precious little the 39-year-old has failed to achieve in a career that, regardless of events
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in the remainder of it, will see him go down in history as one of the all-time goalkeeping greats. In terms of the sheer volume of trophies he has won, the man nicknamed 'Superman' has a CV comparable to any of football's most prominent superheroes.

A serial Serie A winner, at club level Buffon has also tasted victory three times in the Coppa Italia and once in the UEFA Cup with former team Parma. His role in Italy's 2006 World Cup win means his Azzurri legacy is secure, while he boasts a plethora of individual awards and records for both club and country. With two Final defeats to Milan in 2003 and Barcelona in 2015, the one and only glaring omission from his collection is a Champions League winner’s medal.

Performance-wise Buffon is still, as the old cliché goes, like a fine Italian wine - only improving with age. He once again showed his enduring class and importance in Juve's 3-0 Champions League quarter-final first-leg win over Barcelona last week, demonstrating agility and speed of reaction not seen in many 39-year-olds to make one particularly spectacular save from Andres Iniesta with the score at 1-0. It could turn out to be one of the tie's key moments. The standard of his displays over the years warrants recognition in Cardiff on June 3.

More than simply the amount of silverware he has won or his continued excellence, however, Buffon is loved far more by Juve fans for displaying qualities such as leadership, loyalty and the ability to overcome adversity during his long stay in Turin. Never was this more apparent than in 2006, when the Old Lady’s name was sullied by the Calciopoli scandal. Rather than seek a move to a leading European club, as he undoubtedly could have done, he remained to help Juve back out of Serie B and has become a figurehead of the current era of domination they are enjoying.

The prospect of Buffon leading Juve to Champions League glory is made all the sweeter by the fact he was also present for those trips to Trieste and Treviso a decade ago.

Many players and clubs win the Champions League, but Buffon doing so with Juventus would be the defining moment of an almost career-long journey that has taken in great highs and devastating lows.

The entire team from the boss to the bench warmers will be considered absolute legends if they win it for Gigi.

 

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[Cerval]

The most important thing is to win it now, we are growing fast and solid, i am hoping for another three finals in a row like the 90s

 

[zizinho]

The Champions League with Juventus is the only moment still missing from Gigi Buffon’s career, writes Richard Thomas.

thats not true, Gigi has never won the Europa League, the Cup Winners Cup, the UEFA Super Cup, the Club World Cup as well as the EURO and Confederations Cup with Italy

 

[Ocelot]

Well he did win the UEFA cup so he's got the EL covered.

And no one gives a shit about the others. Bar EURO, but he won the WC so doubt he really cares.

 

[zizinho]

forgot about the UEFA Cup

and its true that those (bar the Cup winners Cup) are irrelevant trophies so i just want to see him win the CL and the EURO in 2020 and im good

 

[Boksic]

Easy clean sheet for him.

I liked how he made Barca change side following in coin toss so that they wouldn't attack the same goal that they did in the second half v PSG. Used all his experience.

 

[zizinho]

Love that he kept a clean sheet twice vs those faggots

 

[JuveJay]

Messi still hasn't scored past him.

 

[JCK]

Messi still hasn't scored past him.

Damn how many times the commentators and those in the studio have repeated that from the first leg and still doing it now.

 

[JuveJay]

Damn how many times the commentators and those in the studio have repeated that from the first leg and still doing it now.

He'll never score past him. Next year his special sauce will run out and he'll shrink back to being 4'3" so he has to retire.

 

[Quetzalcoatl]

What's the record for least goals conceded by the CL winner? Hope he can get that too

 

[Hydde]

That save was monstrous!! point blank save

 

[JuveJay]

What's the record for least goals conceded by the CL winner? Hope he can get that too

 

[Quetzalcoatl]

I can't help it

 

[piotrr]

'that was it?'


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[icemaη]

What's the record for least goals conceded by the CL winner? Hope he can get that too

Milan. They only played 12 games in total though.

 

[lgorTudor]

Gigi only won the World Cup because a Juventino (Trez) choked in the Final

 

[piotrr]

Gigi only won the World Cup because a Juventino (Trez) choked in the Final

Time for another (future) Juventino (Griezmann) to choke in the final.

 

[Wittl]

Time for another (future) Juventino (Griezmann) to choke in the final.

I don't like his hang loose celebration..

 

[juventus4life]

I didn't know Buffon is from Tuscany. Copied from Wikileaks:
"Buffon transferred from Parma to Juventus in the summer of 2001 for €53 million, along with former Parma teammate Lilian Thuram, and was handed the number 1 shirt as the starting goalkeeper, replacing Edwin van der Sar, who was sold to Fulham.[51] Buffon later said that there had been an initial possibility for him to join Roma, but they signed Ivan Pelizzoli instead, and although negotiations were ongoing with Barcelona, he chose Juventus because his father convinced him he would be likely to achieve his ambition of winning the Scudetto."

Lol at Roma transfers.