yes he does.
On talent alone, he is superior to Toldo and Peruzzi, and if you want to make the argument that Gigi didn't have a good year, well, then Cannavaro, Panucci, Del Piero shouldn't be on the team either, because they all had sub-standard seasons, whether though poor play or injury, it doesn't matter.
You bring the most talented team with you to Europe, and that's why Gigi deserves to start.
Look, throughout the season, when we all knew, and Gigi would know this better than anyone, that he had a Serie C1 type defense in front of him, did he complain??
No, he didn't, although by right he should have gotten an attorney and sued his defense for non-support.