Soccer legend Gianluigi Buffon, renowned for his years with Juventus and Italy's national team, announced his retirement on Wednesday at the age of 45. His storied career features a World Cup win with Italy, numerous Juventus trophies, and a reputation as one of soccer's top goalkeepers.
With one season left on his contract with Serie B team Parma, Buffon retires from the sport at the very club where his professional journey started nearly 30 years ago.
On Instagram, alongside a video of his career highlights, Buffon wrote, "That's all folks! You gave me everything. I gave you everything. We did it together."
Buffon's peak came during the 2006 World Cup when he allowed only two goals throughout the Azzurri's victorious seven-match campaign. Intriguingly, neither of the two goals came from direct opponent play. One was an own goal by his teammate Cristian Zaccardo, and the other, a penalty kick by Zinedine Zadane during the final.
Marcello Lippi, Buffon's former coach, praised his greatness as a player and as a person, suggesting that Buffon should take up a role with the national team.
At Juventus, Buffon was instrumental in securing 10 Serie A titles and remained steadfast with the club even amidst the 2006 "Calciopoli" scandal which led to the team's demotion to Serie B. A year following their World Cup victory, Buffon aided the Bianconeri in clinching the second-division title.
Juventus acknowledged Buffon's retirement on Twitter, writing, "A legend hangs up his gloves today. Your saves, your smiles, and your character will be forever remembered. Thank you, and congrats on an incredible career." It should be noted that Buffon and Juventus had two Serie A titles stripped due to the "Calciopoli" match-fixing scandal.
The Champions League is the only major title absent from Buffon's career, having lost three finals with Juventus - to AC Milan in 2003, Barcelona in 2015, and Real Madrid in 2017.
In 2018, Buffon bid Juventus goodbye for Paris Saint-Germain, only to return to Turin a year later as backup to Wojciech Szczesny. In 2021, he made an emotional return to Parma.
Parma president Kyle Krause praised Buffon, saying, “Over the course of his illustrious career, which has no equals, Gigi showed an unrivalled ability, determination, and passion on and off the field. Parma will always be your home.”
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(With AP Inputs)
