Gianluigi Buffon (253 Viewers)
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Buffon: «Stronger then I thought»
«After two draws in friendlies it was important to beat Seville for the morale and to give a sign. The victory will make us more serene because with the team that has been built it is normal for expectations to be high». Gigi Buffon is conscious of the expectations that are going round the new Juventus and does not pull back. The Peace Cup can be a good test with regards the quality of the bianconeri, especially if they manage to qualify for the semi-final where they could meet Real Madrid: «It is a nice prospect – continued Gigi – In Summer football these matches take up a different dimension and you can enjoy the best part of football, since there isn’t the pressure of the season full of stress and the necessity of winning. If we play against them we will try to leave a good impression and be entertaining, even because Real is a team that plays with an open hand and allow us one to do so».
Juventus is preparing well for the coming season and can count on important reinforcements: «Compared to last year, we are stronger technically and physically. We signed great players and of international level. Felipe Melo is always improving and is becoming a fixed part of the Brazilian national team. Diego: He can become our added value but we must be clever to help him fit in. I do not ever remember three Brazilians together at Juventus… We will be able to see that heel a bit more often even though we will not be happy simply with that. We can have more chances of winning something but I think I said something right during the camp: the best medicine is sweating. When we used to win others made proclamations in Summer and now I do not want bto make them myself and then risk remaining empty-handed».
The gap with Inter has however been reduced: «The fact is that they were already a perfect machine, at least in Italy and we had much room for improvement as did Milan, Fiorentina and Roma and we are the ones who have made the greatest economic effort. Who is better, Ibrahimovic o Eto’o? For me, they are both great players, the numbers say so. Eto’o won two Champions Leagues and scored two goals in as many finals. He scored over a hundred goals…Having a decisive player in the matches that count is important. Honestly, I never really followed Inter but I played against them three times in recent years and I never lost».
The Juventus transfer campaign was a good sign for somebody like Gigi, who last year asked for indications about the future: «The club did not owe me anything but for my serenity and to believe in nmy work I wanted to have a hope that the projecxt could go on and improve even this year. I thought we would have improved but not so much».
The new signings are important but one of the strong points of Juventus remains Buffon, ready to get back to a place which he never lost, that of best goalkeeper in the world: «Even when I was considered undoubtedly to be the best goalkeeper, I always thought I had to shown in every match that I was and then besides I think that you can only say if a goalkeeper has really been the best by looking at all his career and not only a single season. Besides everything counts in the evaluation: goals conceded, victories… The fact that I played for one year in Serie B, not having won anything in the following two seasons, but still being on the podium of the best is good. It means that when we get back to success it will be easier beating the rest. What I really want though, is getting back to winning with Juventus. The rest is mere consequence».
Last year, after having come back from injury, the critics were not kind to Gigi:
«It is good to have such pressures and responsibilities and I like taking them. What bothered me most was that when I played well but made a slight mistake it was always the negative aspect that was underlined. I was not satisfied with myself but I wasn’t at the end of the world cup either…Now I know that in the first match in which I make two good saves they will write “Buffon is re-born”. The truth is Buffon is always Buffon. I never died and I do not need to be re-born».
In the last months many were claiming Buffon would be leaving: «In football things change quickly. When you find your balance, raise a family, have children, you don’t want to create too much confusion for them especially when you play for a team like Juventus. If I were playing for a mid-table team and had the opportunity to move to a top team I would have leapt at the opportunity. I am a lucky guy because I feel loved and because after 10 years with Parma at a very high level I have the opportunity of spending 15 with Juventus and if I actually manage to do so I would really be satisfied because it means that I am not just any other player».
Finally, Gigi spoke of Federica Pellegrini, a great Juventus supporter who has just won the gold medal and broken the record for the 400m freestyle race in the swimming world championships in Rome: «I would like to compliment Pellegrini because for me it is an infinite honour to see Italy on top of the world».
«After two draws in friendlies it was important to beat Seville for the morale and to give a sign. The victory will make us more serene because with the team that has been built it is normal for expectations to be high». Gigi Buffon is conscious of the expectations that are going round the new Juventus and does not pull back. The Peace Cup can be a good test with regards the quality of the bianconeri, especially if they manage to qualify for the semi-final where they could meet Real Madrid: «It is a nice prospect – continued Gigi – In Summer football these matches take up a different dimension and you can enjoy the best part of football, since there isn’t the pressure of the season full of stress and the necessity of winning. If we play against them we will try to leave a good impression and be entertaining, even because Real is a team that plays with an open hand and allow us one to do so».
Juventus is preparing well for the coming season and can count on important reinforcements: «Compared to last year, we are stronger technically and physically. We signed great players and of international level. Felipe Melo is always improving and is becoming a fixed part of the Brazilian national team. Diego: He can become our added value but we must be clever to help him fit in. I do not ever remember three Brazilians together at Juventus… We will be able to see that heel a bit more often even though we will not be happy simply with that. We can have more chances of winning something but I think I said something right during the camp: the best medicine is sweating. When we used to win others made proclamations in Summer and now I do not want bto make them myself and then risk remaining empty-handed».
The gap with Inter has however been reduced: «The fact is that they were already a perfect machine, at least in Italy and we had much room for improvement as did Milan, Fiorentina and Roma and we are the ones who have made the greatest economic effort. Who is better, Ibrahimovic o Eto’o? For me, they are both great players, the numbers say so. Eto’o won two Champions Leagues and scored two goals in as many finals. He scored over a hundred goals…Having a decisive player in the matches that count is important. Honestly, I never really followed Inter but I played against them three times in recent years and I never lost».
The Juventus transfer campaign was a good sign for somebody like Gigi, who last year asked for indications about the future: «The club did not owe me anything but for my serenity and to believe in nmy work I wanted to have a hope that the projecxt could go on and improve even this year. I thought we would have improved but not so much».
The new signings are important but one of the strong points of Juventus remains Buffon, ready to get back to a place which he never lost, that of best goalkeeper in the world: «Even when I was considered undoubtedly to be the best goalkeeper, I always thought I had to shown in every match that I was and then besides I think that you can only say if a goalkeeper has really been the best by looking at all his career and not only a single season. Besides everything counts in the evaluation: goals conceded, victories… The fact that I played for one year in Serie B, not having won anything in the following two seasons, but still being on the podium of the best is good. It means that when we get back to success it will be easier beating the rest. What I really want though, is getting back to winning with Juventus. The rest is mere consequence».
Last year, after having come back from injury, the critics were not kind to Gigi:
«It is good to have such pressures and responsibilities and I like taking them. What bothered me most was that when I played well but made a slight mistake it was always the negative aspect that was underlined. I was not satisfied with myself but I wasn’t at the end of the world cup either…Now I know that in the first match in which I make two good saves they will write “Buffon is re-born”. The truth is Buffon is always Buffon. I never died and I do not need to be re-born».
In the last months many were claiming Buffon would be leaving: «In football things change quickly. When you find your balance, raise a family, have children, you don’t want to create too much confusion for them especially when you play for a team like Juventus. If I were playing for a mid-table team and had the opportunity to move to a top team I would have leapt at the opportunity. I am a lucky guy because I feel loved and because after 10 years with Parma at a very high level I have the opportunity of spending 15 with Juventus and if I actually manage to do so I would really be satisfied because it means that I am not just any other player».
Finally, Gigi spoke of Federica Pellegrini, a great Juventus supporter who has just won the gold medal and broken the record for the 400m freestyle race in the swimming world championships in Rome: «I would like to compliment Pellegrini because for me it is an infinite honour to see Italy on top of the world».
He really is superman, over 40 degrees and all covered up
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Guys.....just promoting some discussion here....I'm by no means anti-Buffon but what really makes him #1 and what makes him stand out above the rest? I know he's good but what makes him the best. The reason I'm asking is because of how good Manninger plays. I'm not saying that Manninger is better than Gigi, but Juve do not look shakier when Buffon isn't playing. I just can't see what makes Buffon so much better than Manninger. A simple look at last season's stats support this, as Manninger conceded fewer goals when deputizing for Gigi.
