Gianluigi Buffon (146 Viewers)
- Thread starter Maresca
- Start date
no buffon and no defenders!! this is the last thing we needed to be honest.
Yeah! 
Calcio Debate: How Will Italy Cope If Buffon Misses Euro 2008?
Following the news that Gianluigi Buffon is suffering from a potentially serious back injury – Carlo Garganese asks how Italy would cope if the great man was to miss Euro 2008…
Only the most tunnel-visioned of Chelsea and Real Madrid fans would argue that Gianluigi Buffon is head-and-shoulders the best goalkeeper in the world.
Indeed I have little doubt that by the time his career ends, which will most likely be another 10 years or so, he will have established himself as the greatest shot-stopper of all time.
With this summer’s European Championships just around the corner, it is clear that Buffon will be crucial to Italy’s hopes of winning a second major tournament in succession.
The Azzurri have three players who they will find very difficult to replace. One is obviously Fabio Cannavaro, who is still a top-class defender, but more importantly is the captain and organiser of the team.
The second is Andrea Pirlo, who brings a unique quality that simply cannot be substituted. Finally there is Luca Toni in the first striker role. Behind the Bayern Munich man there are very few valid alternatives of his ilk.
If any of these players were to miss Euro 2008, it would be a huge blow. However an even more catastrophic loss would surely be the absence of Buffon.
Beneath the great man, there really is a worrying shortage of top-class goalkeepers.
Gone are the days when Italy could take two or three world-class custodians to a major championship.
In 1970 the Azzurri had Enrico Albertosi and Dino Zoff at their disposal, at Italia 90’ they had Walter Zenga and Stefano Tacconi, while at France 98’ Buffon sat as third-choice to Gianluca Pagliuca and Francesco Toldo.
At Euro 2008 Buffon’s deputies will be Livorno’s Marco Amelia and Roma’s benchwarmer Gianluca Curci.
Should, God forbid, Buffon’s potentially serious back injury force him to miss Euro 2008, then this could prove disastrous for Italy’s chances of winning the trophy.
I have never been totally convinced by Amelia’s ability, despite his hot-prospect status, and I can remember being horrified when I was in Germany in 2006 by just how many mistakes the 25-year-old was making during training matches.
For sure Amelia has potential, indeed he was absolutely brilliant in Livorno’s 1-0 win over Empoli last weekend, pulling off a string of stunning saves.
However with no Champions League experience, and only five international caps to his name, does he have what is required to adequately replace an injured Buffon at Euro 2008?
I doubt it very much.
The lack of Italian goalkeepers playing in Serie A is really becoming something of a concern.
Three of the peninsula’s top four clubs all have Brazilians between the sticks. Inter have Julio Cesar, Roma boast Alexander Doni, while Milan have Nelson Dida.
Then you look at the teams just below them in size like Fiorentina, who have Sebastien Frey, and Udinese, who have Samir Handanovic.
All in all seven of Serie A’s first-choice stoppers are foreign, while of the Italians that keep stick, four are between the ages of 39 and 43 (think Marco Ballotta).
"In Italy clubs lack the courage necessary to launch and protect a young goalkeeper,” slammed Atletico Madrid shot-stopper Cristian Abbiati last week, who also declared during the same interview that Marco Amelia was not good enough to be Italy’s number two.
“It is true that we no longer have so many youngsters like before.”
Luckily for Italy, Gianluigi Buffon, at the age of 29, will probably be able to go on for at least another two World Cups and two European Championships. This should provide plenty of time to find someone to fill his big gloves.
However the risk is always there that the Juventus man may be forced out of one of these tournaments through injury.
In view of this, it surely is time for Italian clubs to review their policies on goalkeepers.
If you were to remove Gianluigi Buffon from the equation, then Italy are really no better off than England when it comes to the quality of their shot-stoppers.
And as all Three Lions fans will know - that is certainly not something to be proud of.
goal.com
Calcio Debate: How Will Italy Cope If Buffon Misses Euro 2008?
Following the news that Gianluigi Buffon is suffering from a potentially serious back injury – Carlo Garganese asks how Italy would cope if the great man was to miss Euro 2008…
Only the most tunnel-visioned of Chelsea and Real Madrid fans would argue that Gianluigi Buffon is head-and-shoulders the best goalkeeper in the world.
Indeed I have little doubt that by the time his career ends, which will most likely be another 10 years or so, he will have established himself as the greatest shot-stopper of all time.
With this summer’s European Championships just around the corner, it is clear that Buffon will be crucial to Italy’s hopes of winning a second major tournament in succession.
The Azzurri have three players who they will find very difficult to replace. One is obviously Fabio Cannavaro, who is still a top-class defender, but more importantly is the captain and organiser of the team.
The second is Andrea Pirlo, who brings a unique quality that simply cannot be substituted. Finally there is Luca Toni in the first striker role. Behind the Bayern Munich man there are very few valid alternatives of his ilk.
If any of these players were to miss Euro 2008, it would be a huge blow. However an even more catastrophic loss would surely be the absence of Buffon.
Beneath the great man, there really is a worrying shortage of top-class goalkeepers.
Gone are the days when Italy could take two or three world-class custodians to a major championship.
In 1970 the Azzurri had Enrico Albertosi and Dino Zoff at their disposal, at Italia 90’ they had Walter Zenga and Stefano Tacconi, while at France 98’ Buffon sat as third-choice to Gianluca Pagliuca and Francesco Toldo.
At Euro 2008 Buffon’s deputies will be Livorno’s Marco Amelia and Roma’s benchwarmer Gianluca Curci.
Should, God forbid, Buffon’s potentially serious back injury force him to miss Euro 2008, then this could prove disastrous for Italy’s chances of winning the trophy.
I have never been totally convinced by Amelia’s ability, despite his hot-prospect status, and I can remember being horrified when I was in Germany in 2006 by just how many mistakes the 25-year-old was making during training matches.
For sure Amelia has potential, indeed he was absolutely brilliant in Livorno’s 1-0 win over Empoli last weekend, pulling off a string of stunning saves.
However with no Champions League experience, and only five international caps to his name, does he have what is required to adequately replace an injured Buffon at Euro 2008?
I doubt it very much.
The lack of Italian goalkeepers playing in Serie A is really becoming something of a concern.
Three of the peninsula’s top four clubs all have Brazilians between the sticks. Inter have Julio Cesar, Roma boast Alexander Doni, while Milan have Nelson Dida.
Then you look at the teams just below them in size like Fiorentina, who have Sebastien Frey, and Udinese, who have Samir Handanovic.
All in all seven of Serie A’s first-choice stoppers are foreign, while of the Italians that keep stick, four are between the ages of 39 and 43 (think Marco Ballotta).
"In Italy clubs lack the courage necessary to launch and protect a young goalkeeper,” slammed Atletico Madrid shot-stopper Cristian Abbiati last week, who also declared during the same interview that Marco Amelia was not good enough to be Italy’s number two.
“It is true that we no longer have so many youngsters like before.”
Luckily for Italy, Gianluigi Buffon, at the age of 29, will probably be able to go on for at least another two World Cups and two European Championships. This should provide plenty of time to find someone to fill his big gloves.
However the risk is always there that the Juventus man may be forced out of one of these tournaments through injury.
In view of this, it surely is time for Italian clubs to review their policies on goalkeepers.
If you were to remove Gianluigi Buffon from the equation, then Italy are really no better off than England when it comes to the quality of their shot-stoppers.
And as all Three Lions fans will know - that is certainly not something to be proud of.
goal.com
