Buffon announces his retirement date from football: There is still a long way to go

Seven live like cats. And maybe more. Gigi Buffon It not only retains the cat’s reflexes but also the exceptional ability to always fall right in the right way, without getting hit (badly). He’s 44 years old (just like the cats in nursery rhymes…) and raised when asked if he’s considering retirement. “Let’s see at 55…more or less”.

Parma, Juventus, a year in Paris, still with the old lady under his arm and now back to Emilia. As they say…some love turns big and then comes back. As for football, it was a constant in his career and for the former number one player in the national team, it was always like the first time.

“I’ve been thinking for many years about when to stop – Buffon admitted during an event at Peugeot training camp -. I have some confused thoughts about it… I’ve been thinking about it for 10 years but then always keep going.”

Translator: He has no intention of stopping and hanging up the gloves. Why should? As long as the physique holds up… at worst “I’m not 100% sure I’ll stay in this world. Maybe I’ll experience something else, I know football.”

Five Italian players that put him among the strongest players he has played with, between the club and Azzurri’s shirt. And then there’s another one he didn’t name because – he says – she might be too biased, conditioned on the existing relationship. Then he shoots others a little at a time, without fear of denial.

“The attackers because I will mention 108. Baggio, Totti, Del Piero, Pirlo and Cassano, who, despite their interruption, deserved such.”

Foreigners are also restricted. As a goalkeeper, he sees them approaching him or flinging sides from a distance, he keeps his gaze fixed on the points minus one. “I say Thuram, Neymar, Mbappe, Cristiano Ronaldo, Ibrahimovic”.

The unwise question, about what they call unguarded answers, is always the same: How many championships has Buffon won? The answer to an itchy question (as he defines it in the opening words) is a blow to the circle and one blow to the barrel. “I tell you I won 12 Italian championships, but they assigned me 10”is a reference to his experience at Juventus and the titles that were canceled after Caliopoli.

Then there too “Serie A and some Italian cups with Parma, and other Super Cups. I won the only European title with Parma, and we lost many finals with Juventus.”