I was pleasantly surprised at how well Biri has done in the games that he has played this season.
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Gianluigi Buffon (90 Viewers)
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Buffon: We're Not Scudetto Challengers Yet
Juventus goalkeeper remains dismissive of the team's Scudetto hopes despite seeing plenty of positives
Good For Europe
The Juve number one enjoyed the fact that his team looked dangerous against Inter, while remaining practical.
"I am too practical and realistic to see us getting the Scudetto this year, as there are at least two or three teams more organised and well-rounded than us," he began.
"If we keep up this momentum and consistency in results, then we can aim for a Champions League spot.
"I think the right philosophy is that Juve are not quite as ready as Inter or Milan, so we should seek this role as a roaming danger for the others.
"The draw is a good result, but clearly when you are there and your tails are up it is best to keep going rather than have regrets."
Good Presonal Display
On his own performance, he opined: "I did something good, but it’s what people expect of me and what I expect of me!
"Raffaele Palladino deserved his Man of the Match status, as he played brilliantly for 90 minutes and is really growing in that position.
"I didn’t see Chivu’s free kick because there were so many players in the wall.
"We had looked at Inter’s tapes and noticed that often they got players offside from there and did well not to follow them.
"I tried to catch Chivu’s kick, but the pitch was very slippery and it got away from me."
Well Behaved Game
There were a few personal battles on the pitch, but despite the intensity and the history, nothing quite got out of hand.
"Personally speaking all that was at stake was three points against the Serie A leaders," said Buffon.
"The other issues can creep in and increase the tension, but all the players behaved impeccably.
"Everyone saw it the same way and we have to also thank the media for not making the run-up to this game too over-the-top."
Frank Barrone
goal.com
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dont worry Gigi we are getting there
Juventus goalkeeper remains dismissive of the team's Scudetto hopes despite seeing plenty of positives
Good For Europe
The Juve number one enjoyed the fact that his team looked dangerous against Inter, while remaining practical.
"I am too practical and realistic to see us getting the Scudetto this year, as there are at least two or three teams more organised and well-rounded than us," he began.
"If we keep up this momentum and consistency in results, then we can aim for a Champions League spot.
"I think the right philosophy is that Juve are not quite as ready as Inter or Milan, so we should seek this role as a roaming danger for the others.
"The draw is a good result, but clearly when you are there and your tails are up it is best to keep going rather than have regrets."
Good Presonal Display
On his own performance, he opined: "I did something good, but it’s what people expect of me and what I expect of me!
"Raffaele Palladino deserved his Man of the Match status, as he played brilliantly for 90 minutes and is really growing in that position.
"I didn’t see Chivu’s free kick because there were so many players in the wall.
"We had looked at Inter’s tapes and noticed that often they got players offside from there and did well not to follow them.
"I tried to catch Chivu’s kick, but the pitch was very slippery and it got away from me."
Well Behaved Game
There were a few personal battles on the pitch, but despite the intensity and the history, nothing quite got out of hand.
"Personally speaking all that was at stake was three points against the Serie A leaders," said Buffon.
"The other issues can creep in and increase the tension, but all the players behaved impeccably.
"Everyone saw it the same way and we have to also thank the media for not making the run-up to this game too over-the-top."
Frank Barrone
goal.com
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
dont worry Gigi we are getting there
Buffon relishes danger tag
Gianluigi Buffon has reservations over Juventus’ title ambitions, but aims to enjoy their 'dangerous’ reputation.
“I am too practical and realistic to see us getting the Scudetto this year, as there are at least two or three teams more organised and well-rounded than us,” said the goalkeeper.
“If we keep up this momentum and consistency in results, then we can aim for a Champions League spot.
“I think the right philosophy is that Juve are not quite as ready as Inter or Milan, so we should seek this role as a roaming danger for the others.”
The Bianconeri kept themselves in the running by holding leaders Inter to a 1-1 draw at the Stadio Olimpico this evening.
“The draw is a good result, but clearly when you are there and your tails are up it is best to keep going rather than have regrets.”
This was their first official meeting since the Calciopoli scandal and thankfully there was none of the vitriol or violence that some had warned about.
“Personally speaking all that was at stake was three points against the Serie A leaders. The other issues can creep in and increase the tension, but all the players behaved impeccably,” noted Buffon.
“Everyone saw it the same way and we have to also thank the media for not making the run-up to this game too over-the-top.”
The World Cup winner kept his side in it with some fine saves, but retained his usual modesty.
“I did something good, but it’s what people expect of me and what I expect of me! Raffaele Palladino deserved his Man of the Match status, as he played brilliantly for 90 minutes and is really growing in that position.”
He had a tense moment when he spilled Cristian Chivu’s effort into the path of Esteban Cambiasso, but the goal was correctly disallowed for offside.
“I didn’t see Chivu’s free kick because there were so many players in the wall. We had looked at Inter’s tapes and noticed that often they got players offside from there and did well not to follow them.
“I tried to catch Chivu’s kick, but the pitch was very slippery and it got away from me.”
channel 4
Gianluigi Buffon has reservations over Juventus’ title ambitions, but aims to enjoy their 'dangerous’ reputation.
“I am too practical and realistic to see us getting the Scudetto this year, as there are at least two or three teams more organised and well-rounded than us,” said the goalkeeper.
“If we keep up this momentum and consistency in results, then we can aim for a Champions League spot.
“I think the right philosophy is that Juve are not quite as ready as Inter or Milan, so we should seek this role as a roaming danger for the others.”
The Bianconeri kept themselves in the running by holding leaders Inter to a 1-1 draw at the Stadio Olimpico this evening.
“The draw is a good result, but clearly when you are there and your tails are up it is best to keep going rather than have regrets.”
This was their first official meeting since the Calciopoli scandal and thankfully there was none of the vitriol or violence that some had warned about.
“Personally speaking all that was at stake was three points against the Serie A leaders. The other issues can creep in and increase the tension, but all the players behaved impeccably,” noted Buffon.
“Everyone saw it the same way and we have to also thank the media for not making the run-up to this game too over-the-top.”
The World Cup winner kept his side in it with some fine saves, but retained his usual modesty.
“I did something good, but it’s what people expect of me and what I expect of me! Raffaele Palladino deserved his Man of the Match status, as he played brilliantly for 90 minutes and is really growing in that position.”
He had a tense moment when he spilled Cristian Chivu’s effort into the path of Esteban Cambiasso, but the goal was correctly disallowed for offside.
“I didn’t see Chivu’s free kick because there were so many players in the wall. We had looked at Inter’s tapes and noticed that often they got players offside from there and did well not to follow them.
“I tried to catch Chivu’s kick, but the pitch was very slippery and it got away from me.”
channel 4
Buffon Not Convinced About Stopping Serie A
The Juventus goalkeeper does not think that suspending the Italian topflight for a week will help in any way following the death of the Lazio fan last Sunday.
A sad and thoughtful Gigi Buffon spoke about last weekend's umpteenth incidents in Serie A which might push the Government and Lega Calcio to suspend the Italian topflight for one week.
"I'm sorry to see so many people not happy about their existence, who try to ruin that few good which has remained in our world," commented the Italian national team coach from the Azzurri's training camp.
"The death of a young man was just the excuse for violence towards police," he continued. "They were waiting for a long time that something like this happens to do something.
"If they asked us to stop, I would, but it doesn't mean that I would understand the decision in the end," admitted Buffon. "I agree with the choice made by Lazio not to play on Sunday, but I think that they should have played on all other pitches.
"We cannot stop every time that someone dies with a scarf around his neck, not even close to a stadium."
Glenn Debattista
Goal.com
Gordon puts Buffon on a goalkeeping pedestal as Scotland plot Italy's downfall
Craig Gordon is slightly miffed at the widely held view that Gianluigi Buffon is his lifetime idol, but the Scotland goalkeeper is under no illusions about the talents of the man at the other end of the Hampden Park pitch on Saturday.
Gordon will win his 29th cap against Italy in the most high-profile - not to mention most lucrative - Scotland match for a considerable time, and certainly in the Sunderland goalkeeper's international career. With Buffon, he is certain to play a prominent role as Scotland seek the victory that would clinch their remarkable progress to the Euro 2008 finals.
The esteem in which Gordon holds Buffon, who has represented Italy 79 times, will remain intact no matter what the outcome. "He [Buffon] is only 29, five years older than me, so it's not as if he could have been someone I looked up to from a very early age," Gordon said. "He wasn't a boyhood hero or anything, but I have watched a lot of him. He is someone I admire greatly as a person and a goalkeeper, there is no question about that."
The pair have met twice before, at San Siro two years ago and in Bari earlier in the current qualifying campaign. Gordon has Buffon's jerseys from both matches, but jokes he may look elsewhere on Saturday. "I might try to get another shirt this time, it's getting a bit boring otherwise."
The 24-year-old is more serious in highlighting the Juventus player's strengths. "Buffon just doesn't make mistakes, any mistakes," Gordon insisted. "He is very consistent, he has no weakness in his game and, equally, there is not one particular thing that he is renowned for being good at. That, in many ways, is exactly what you want from a goalkeeper. He is not flashy, he doesn't do things for effect or show. Is he the best goalkeeper in the world? I'm not sure about that. Petr Cech would have to be right up there as well."
Gordon's introduction to the Premier League in England - apart from an aberration in Saturday's Tyne-Wear derby - has been virtually seamless since he became in August the most expensive goalkeeper in British transfer history, moving from Hearts in a £9m deal.
"Gigi went for just a little bit more than me," Gordon said, recalling Buffon's £32m switch from Parma in 2001. "But I can see exactly why he did go for that amount of money. He was young and Juventus had identified him as a player who would stay as their No1 for years to come."
Guardian
Craig Gordon is slightly miffed at the widely held view that Gianluigi Buffon is his lifetime idol, but the Scotland goalkeeper is under no illusions about the talents of the man at the other end of the Hampden Park pitch on Saturday.
Gordon will win his 29th cap against Italy in the most high-profile - not to mention most lucrative - Scotland match for a considerable time, and certainly in the Sunderland goalkeeper's international career. With Buffon, he is certain to play a prominent role as Scotland seek the victory that would clinch their remarkable progress to the Euro 2008 finals.
The esteem in which Gordon holds Buffon, who has represented Italy 79 times, will remain intact no matter what the outcome. "He [Buffon] is only 29, five years older than me, so it's not as if he could have been someone I looked up to from a very early age," Gordon said. "He wasn't a boyhood hero or anything, but I have watched a lot of him. He is someone I admire greatly as a person and a goalkeeper, there is no question about that."
The pair have met twice before, at San Siro two years ago and in Bari earlier in the current qualifying campaign. Gordon has Buffon's jerseys from both matches, but jokes he may look elsewhere on Saturday. "I might try to get another shirt this time, it's getting a bit boring otherwise."
The 24-year-old is more serious in highlighting the Juventus player's strengths. "Buffon just doesn't make mistakes, any mistakes," Gordon insisted. "He is very consistent, he has no weakness in his game and, equally, there is not one particular thing that he is renowned for being good at. That, in many ways, is exactly what you want from a goalkeeper. He is not flashy, he doesn't do things for effect or show. Is he the best goalkeeper in the world? I'm not sure about that. Petr Cech would have to be right up there as well."
Gordon's introduction to the Premier League in England - apart from an aberration in Saturday's Tyne-Wear derby - has been virtually seamless since he became in August the most expensive goalkeeper in British transfer history, moving from Hearts in a £9m deal.
"Gigi went for just a little bit more than me," Gordon said, recalling Buffon's £32m switch from Parma in 2001. "But I can see exactly why he did go for that amount of money. He was young and Juventus had identified him as a player who would stay as their No1 for years to come."
Guardian
Italy wary of Scottish desire, says Buffon
FLORENCE, Italy, Nov 15 (Reuters) - World champions Italy expect a "match of a lifetime" in their Euro 2008 qualifier against Scotland in Glasgow, goalkeeper Gianluigi Buffon said on Thursday.
"We know we have to prepare for a battle," the Juventus player told reporters at Italy's training camp near Florence.
"It's one of the most important matches I have ever played in the national team. I fear the atmosphere (we'll encounter) and their desire. It's the match of a lifetime for both sides. We respect Scotland but we are not afraid. We might have been scared if we didn't have the necessary experience."
Italy can reach the Euro 2008 finals if they win on Saturday, although a draw will suffice if they defeat Group B's bottom team the Faroe Islands at home four days later.
Defeat would mean Italy, who are one point behind Scotland and two behind leaders France, would have to win against the Faroes and hope Ukraine beat France at home on the same night to go through.
"I don't even want to consider the prospect (of not qualifying)," Buffon added.
"Our strength is in the group. We won't mess up this game. Winning would be just reward for the work we have done over the last year and a half."
While striker Luca Toni said Italy should play for a win, Buffon is happy to make do with a draw: "A point in Scotland would be fine with me because it would mean qualification."
The goalkeeper said that if Italy win on Saturday they would dedicate qualifying for Euro 2008 to the memory of a Lazio fan killed by an Italian police officer last Sunday.
The shooting of Gabriele Sandri, 26, after a brawl at a motorway service station sparked violence, with riots in Rome and crowd trouble at Atalanta's match against AC Milan.
"If things go as we want them to, we have a special dedication ready for the Sandri family," he said.
Reuters
FLORENCE, Italy, Nov 15 (Reuters) - World champions Italy expect a "match of a lifetime" in their Euro 2008 qualifier against Scotland in Glasgow, goalkeeper Gianluigi Buffon said on Thursday.
"We know we have to prepare for a battle," the Juventus player told reporters at Italy's training camp near Florence.
"It's one of the most important matches I have ever played in the national team. I fear the atmosphere (we'll encounter) and their desire. It's the match of a lifetime for both sides. We respect Scotland but we are not afraid. We might have been scared if we didn't have the necessary experience."
Italy can reach the Euro 2008 finals if they win on Saturday, although a draw will suffice if they defeat Group B's bottom team the Faroe Islands at home four days later.
Defeat would mean Italy, who are one point behind Scotland and two behind leaders France, would have to win against the Faroes and hope Ukraine beat France at home on the same night to go through.
"I don't even want to consider the prospect (of not qualifying)," Buffon added.
"Our strength is in the group. We won't mess up this game. Winning would be just reward for the work we have done over the last year and a half."
While striker Luca Toni said Italy should play for a win, Buffon is happy to make do with a draw: "A point in Scotland would be fine with me because it would mean qualification."
The goalkeeper said that if Italy win on Saturday they would dedicate qualifying for Euro 2008 to the memory of a Lazio fan killed by an Italian police officer last Sunday.
The shooting of Gabriele Sandri, 26, after a brawl at a motorway service station sparked violence, with riots in Rome and crowd trouble at Atalanta's match against AC Milan.
"If things go as we want them to, we have a special dedication ready for the Sandri family," he said.
Reuters
English and Scottish sites are making some remarkable reports about Buffon. They gathered some nice info about Gigi:
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'Superman' sets sights on halting Scotland's fantasy
Scotland's surge towards Euro 2008 is already a fantasy but it could be stopped in its tracks by a comic-book hero whose ability to fly through the sky has already made him a legend.
Gianluigi Buffon will win his 80th cap for Italy at Hampden Park on Saturday and as he done for his previous 79, the Tuscan goalkeeper will wear a Superman T-shirt beneath his jersey
. Arrogant perhaps, but it should be remembered who James McFadden and co will be trying to score past. Buffon is by common consent the world's best goalkeeper, a man who according to Scotland's No1, Craig Gordon, never makes a mistake.
Last year Buffon went through Italy's World Cup-winning campaign without the opposition scoring from open play. Only a Zinédine Zidane penalty in the Berlin final and an own-goal from Cristian Zaccardo in a group game against the United States breached his defences.
The Italy squad fly to Glasgow tomorrow amid turmoil at home after Sunday's fatal shooting of a Lazio fan by a police officer and must prepare for a match which, should they lose, would have the world champions relying on Ukraine beating France to qualify for next summer's European Championship.
But Buffon remains calm. "When there are these type of matches to come, one tries to approach them in a very relaxed way," he said. "With the benefit of accumulated experience you know that in the one or two hours leading up to the kick-off itself there is going to be tension which prepares you, so you will be ready."
Buffon's 12 years as a professional have seen him play at many major stadiums but never at Hampden. The 29-year-old faced Scotland at San Siro two years ago and in Bari in this campaign but missed out on the 1-1 draw in Glasgow in September 2005 because of a shoulder injury. He will be ready for the waves of noise expected from the Tartan Army but is adamant it is the Scots on the pitch rather than those in the crowd whom Italy are wary of.
"Scotland are always worthy of respect," Buffon said. "Perhaps compared to us they've been inferior technically but from the point of view of character they have always had a good squad that could narrow the gap. Football in Scotland is evolving. As a goalkeeper I always look out for my opponent's strikers and I must say that James McFadden is a very good player and Kenny Miller has also impressed me. These are top players, we are not playing against a side from the Scottish fourth division."
Buffon is aware of McFadden's lob over France's goalkeeper, Mickaël Landreau, in Scotland's 1-0 win in Paris two months ago and Celtic's 2-1 Champions League victory against Milan in October but claims neither will prey on Italian minds. "We could be afraid if we didn't have experience but the squad is full of players who have experience of Serie A, the Champions League and the World Cup so we will not find ourselves unprepared," he said. "The bigger the prize the less likely you are to arrive unprepared. If anyone is afraid it is Scotland who are afraid of us."
Defeat and Italy's resulting absence from Euro 2008 could spell the end for the head coach, Roberto Donadoni, who took over from Marcello Lippi after the World Cup and has overseen massive changes to the side who achieved glory in Germany. That has led to criticism in the Italian press but Buffon is calling on Italy's football federation to ignore that and give the former Milan midfielder time.
"I think the coach needed to make his own mark, that is only right. He needed to bring in players more adapted to his way of playing. With him we play a different shape to how we did under Lippi. Then it was 4-4-2, now it is 4-3-3. There was a hangover in the August and September after the World Cup but since then we have had a string of positive results. It would be a pity if we did not qualify now."
Since making his debut for Parma at 17, Buffon, who would have been a PE teacher had he not made it in football, has won two Serie A titles and a Uefa Cup as well as the World Cup. A third top-flight championship with Juventus, whom he joined in 2001 for a world-record fee for a goalkeeper of £32m, was annulled by the Italian FA last year after Juve's participation in the infamous match-fixing scandal. The club were relegated, allowing Buffon to add a Serie B title to his medal collection.
The next honour awaiting him is fatherhood, with his girlfriend, the Czech model Alena Seredova, due in February. He believes it will complete his transition to adulthood and allow him to bury the very public mistakes of his youth, most notably wearing a T-shirt after a Parma defeat eight years ago bearing the Mussolini slogan "Death to those who give up".
"It's important to bear in mind that this happened when I was young. I am a footballer who has passed through various stages," Buffon said. "Everyone has the right to make a mistake."
The only T-shirts Buffon wears during matches now have a red 'S' in the middle. It will be hidden on Saturday but the odds are Italy's No1 will once again fly.
Guardian
------------------------------
Does anybody have his pics with that S shirt?
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
'Superman' sets sights on halting Scotland's fantasy
Scotland's surge towards Euro 2008 is already a fantasy but it could be stopped in its tracks by a comic-book hero whose ability to fly through the sky has already made him a legend.
Gianluigi Buffon will win his 80th cap for Italy at Hampden Park on Saturday and as he done for his previous 79, the Tuscan goalkeeper will wear a Superman T-shirt beneath his jersey
. Arrogant perhaps, but it should be remembered who James McFadden and co will be trying to score past. Buffon is by common consent the world's best goalkeeper, a man who according to Scotland's No1, Craig Gordon, never makes a mistake.Last year Buffon went through Italy's World Cup-winning campaign without the opposition scoring from open play. Only a Zinédine Zidane penalty in the Berlin final and an own-goal from Cristian Zaccardo in a group game against the United States breached his defences.
The Italy squad fly to Glasgow tomorrow amid turmoil at home after Sunday's fatal shooting of a Lazio fan by a police officer and must prepare for a match which, should they lose, would have the world champions relying on Ukraine beating France to qualify for next summer's European Championship.
But Buffon remains calm. "When there are these type of matches to come, one tries to approach them in a very relaxed way," he said. "With the benefit of accumulated experience you know that in the one or two hours leading up to the kick-off itself there is going to be tension which prepares you, so you will be ready."
Buffon's 12 years as a professional have seen him play at many major stadiums but never at Hampden. The 29-year-old faced Scotland at San Siro two years ago and in Bari in this campaign but missed out on the 1-1 draw in Glasgow in September 2005 because of a shoulder injury. He will be ready for the waves of noise expected from the Tartan Army but is adamant it is the Scots on the pitch rather than those in the crowd whom Italy are wary of.
"Scotland are always worthy of respect," Buffon said. "Perhaps compared to us they've been inferior technically but from the point of view of character they have always had a good squad that could narrow the gap. Football in Scotland is evolving. As a goalkeeper I always look out for my opponent's strikers and I must say that James McFadden is a very good player and Kenny Miller has also impressed me. These are top players, we are not playing against a side from the Scottish fourth division."
Buffon is aware of McFadden's lob over France's goalkeeper, Mickaël Landreau, in Scotland's 1-0 win in Paris two months ago and Celtic's 2-1 Champions League victory against Milan in October but claims neither will prey on Italian minds. "We could be afraid if we didn't have experience but the squad is full of players who have experience of Serie A, the Champions League and the World Cup so we will not find ourselves unprepared," he said. "The bigger the prize the less likely you are to arrive unprepared. If anyone is afraid it is Scotland who are afraid of us."
Defeat and Italy's resulting absence from Euro 2008 could spell the end for the head coach, Roberto Donadoni, who took over from Marcello Lippi after the World Cup and has overseen massive changes to the side who achieved glory in Germany. That has led to criticism in the Italian press but Buffon is calling on Italy's football federation to ignore that and give the former Milan midfielder time.
"I think the coach needed to make his own mark, that is only right. He needed to bring in players more adapted to his way of playing. With him we play a different shape to how we did under Lippi. Then it was 4-4-2, now it is 4-3-3. There was a hangover in the August and September after the World Cup but since then we have had a string of positive results. It would be a pity if we did not qualify now."
Since making his debut for Parma at 17, Buffon, who would have been a PE teacher
had he not made it in football, has won two Serie A titles and a Uefa Cup as well as the World Cup. A third top-flight championship with Juventus, whom he joined in 2001 for a world-record fee for a goalkeeper of £32m, was annulled by the Italian FA last year after Juve's participation in the infamous match-fixing scandal. The club were relegated, allowing Buffon to add a Serie B title to his medal collection.The next honour awaiting him is fatherhood, with his girlfriend, the Czech model Alena Seredova, due in February. He believes it will complete his transition to adulthood and allow him to bury the very public mistakes of his youth, most notably wearing a T-shirt after a Parma defeat eight years ago bearing the Mussolini slogan "Death to those who give up".
"It's important to bear in mind that this happened when I was young. I am a footballer who has passed through various stages," Buffon said. "Everyone has the right to make a mistake."
The only T-shirts Buffon wears during matches now have a red 'S' in the middle. It will be hidden on Saturday but the odds are Italy's No1 will once again fly.
Guardian
------------------------------
Does anybody have his pics with that S shirt?
