Gianluigi Buffon (121 Viewers)
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Gianluigi Buffon: Gigi at 30
Gigi Buffon turns 30 at the end of January. To celebrate the Juventus and Italy ace's big day, Paul Rayment looks back at the career of the world’s greatest goalkeeper
Born into an athletic family, it was clear from the beginning that Gianluigi Buffon would become a sportsman. His mother was a discus thrower, his father a weightlifter and his two sisters played volleyball. Gigi’s uncle Lorenzo played in goal for both Milan and Inter as well as the Azzurri, representing La Nazionale at the 1962 World Cup.
However, despite being the nephew of a great keeper, Gigi began his football career as a midfielder. “I started playing when I was six but as an outfield player,” Buffon insisted. “Back then I liked scoring goals much more than saving them and I was even pretty good, but then things turned out differently.” Injuries to his team’s two goalkeepers, a coincidence that would repeat itself many more times in his career, meant that he found himself between the sticks – and he didn’t look back.
Signed by Parma at 17, Gigi had to wait a year before making his Serie A debut for the Gialloblu. With Luca Bucci injured, the young goalkeeper was faced with the task of holding back a Milan team that included Roberto Baggio up front. With little known about the youngster, many fancied Milan to run riot. However, showing great athleticism, Buffon was kept busy for the full 90 minutes, constantly rushing off his line to thwart a Milan side that would go on to win the title and score a total of 60 goals. He went on to make eight further appearances for Parma that season, becoming a regular at the Ennio Tardini the following campaign.
During his time at Parma, Gigi played a total of 168 games and made his international debut in the harshest of environments. The Azzurri were in Moscow to face Russia in the first of a two legged play-off for a place in the 1998 World Cup. With Angelo Peruzzi absent, Buffon was promoted to a spot on the substitutes’ bench before coming on after Gianluca Pagliuca had to go off with an injury. The pitch was more suited to cross country skiing than football, with terrible fog and heavy snow meaning that an orange ball was needed to make the game playable – hardly ideal conditions for a footballer to make his debut, especially a 'keeper. The match ended 1-1 with Italy going on to win the home leg. With Pagliuca back to full fitness in time for the tournament, Buffon had to settle for watching from the sidelines as the Azzuri went to the quarter-finals.
With the UEFA Cup and Coppa Italia in the trophy cabinet with the Gialloblu, Gigi’s stock was on the rise – and so was his price. In 2001, Juventus broke the bank with a deal worth £32m to bring Gigi to Turin, making him the world’s most expensive goalkeeper. Juve’s money was well spent, with Buffon helping to bring the Bianconeri two Scudetti in a rwo. These trophies were quickly joined by a Champions League runners-up medal after Juventus lost to Milan in the Final in 2003, despite two penalty saves by Buffon against Clarence Seedorf and Kakha Kaladze in the shoot-out.
After winning the World Cup in 2006 following a near flawless display in Germany – he only conceded a freak own goal by Cristian Zaccardo and a penalty by Zinedine Zidane – Buffon, along with many of the Bianconeri’s biggest players, were being touted across the world following the team’s relegation into Serie B for their part in the Cacliopoli scandal. Despite speculation linking Gigi to Milan, the World Cup-winning shot-stopper decided to stay with the fallen giants. “Serie B is a Division he has never won and he wants to try to do this,” his agent insisted. Many thought that by playing against the minnows of the second tier, Gigi may lose his place in the national team. Fortunately, Roberto Donadoni thought otherwise and the 'keeper from Carrara managed to prove that he was still capable despite a lack of regular first-class opposition.
Now with his 30th birthday approaching, Gigi sees a bright future for himself with both the Azzurri and Juventus. “In recent times, Italy have been in a World Cup Final every 12 years and I hope to still be there in 2018,” he said. “I think I will be able to maintain high levels until I’m at least 35 because in my work I haven’t been solely focused on muscle strength, but I have always relied on agility and the sense of position and explosiveness.”
source: channel 4.com
Gigi Buffon turns 30 at the end of January. To celebrate the Juventus and Italy ace's big day, Paul Rayment looks back at the career of the world’s greatest goalkeeper
Born into an athletic family, it was clear from the beginning that Gianluigi Buffon would become a sportsman. His mother was a discus thrower, his father a weightlifter and his two sisters played volleyball. Gigi’s uncle Lorenzo played in goal for both Milan and Inter as well as the Azzurri, representing La Nazionale at the 1962 World Cup.
However, despite being the nephew of a great keeper, Gigi began his football career as a midfielder. “I started playing when I was six but as an outfield player,” Buffon insisted. “Back then I liked scoring goals much more than saving them and I was even pretty good, but then things turned out differently.” Injuries to his team’s two goalkeepers, a coincidence that would repeat itself many more times in his career, meant that he found himself between the sticks – and he didn’t look back.
Signed by Parma at 17, Gigi had to wait a year before making his Serie A debut for the Gialloblu. With Luca Bucci injured, the young goalkeeper was faced with the task of holding back a Milan team that included Roberto Baggio up front. With little known about the youngster, many fancied Milan to run riot. However, showing great athleticism, Buffon was kept busy for the full 90 minutes, constantly rushing off his line to thwart a Milan side that would go on to win the title and score a total of 60 goals. He went on to make eight further appearances for Parma that season, becoming a regular at the Ennio Tardini the following campaign.
During his time at Parma, Gigi played a total of 168 games and made his international debut in the harshest of environments. The Azzurri were in Moscow to face Russia in the first of a two legged play-off for a place in the 1998 World Cup. With Angelo Peruzzi absent, Buffon was promoted to a spot on the substitutes’ bench before coming on after Gianluca Pagliuca had to go off with an injury. The pitch was more suited to cross country skiing than football, with terrible fog and heavy snow meaning that an orange ball was needed to make the game playable – hardly ideal conditions for a footballer to make his debut, especially a 'keeper. The match ended 1-1 with Italy going on to win the home leg. With Pagliuca back to full fitness in time for the tournament, Buffon had to settle for watching from the sidelines as the Azzuri went to the quarter-finals.
With the UEFA Cup and Coppa Italia in the trophy cabinet with the Gialloblu, Gigi’s stock was on the rise – and so was his price. In 2001, Juventus broke the bank with a deal worth £32m to bring Gigi to Turin, making him the world’s most expensive goalkeeper. Juve’s money was well spent, with Buffon helping to bring the Bianconeri two Scudetti in a rwo. These trophies were quickly joined by a Champions League runners-up medal after Juventus lost to Milan in the Final in 2003, despite two penalty saves by Buffon against Clarence Seedorf and Kakha Kaladze in the shoot-out.
After winning the World Cup in 2006 following a near flawless display in Germany – he only conceded a freak own goal by Cristian Zaccardo and a penalty by Zinedine Zidane – Buffon, along with many of the Bianconeri’s biggest players, were being touted across the world following the team’s relegation into Serie B for their part in the Cacliopoli scandal. Despite speculation linking Gigi to Milan, the World Cup-winning shot-stopper decided to stay with the fallen giants. “Serie B is a Division he has never won and he wants to try to do this,” his agent insisted. Many thought that by playing against the minnows of the second tier, Gigi may lose his place in the national team. Fortunately, Roberto Donadoni thought otherwise and the 'keeper from Carrara managed to prove that he was still capable despite a lack of regular first-class opposition.
Now with his 30th birthday approaching, Gigi sees a bright future for himself with both the Azzurri and Juventus. “In recent times, Italy have been in a World Cup Final every 12 years and I hope to still be there in 2018,” he said. “I think I will be able to maintain high levels until I’m at least 35 because in my work I haven’t been solely focused on muscle strength, but I have always relied on agility and the sense of position and explosiveness.”
source: channel 4.com
to many more.
int: 
:burke: Happy Birthday, and get fit!
