The 39-year-old Buffon ran to the Swedish penalty area. Florenzi kissed the ball deeply. The clock had arrived at 4 minutes 40 seconds. Who would save the fate of Italy?
In the past, this man wearing gloves saved Italy, Juventus and Parma again and again. Buffon stood in the farthest place from him, standing in front of each other’s forbidden zone, watching the old comrade-in-arms kijelini offside, watching the referee Raos blowing the final whistle, watching the Swedes rushing to celebrate.
It was November 13, 2017, and Buffon completed the 175th match of his 20-year National team career. The figure of running towards the forbidden area of the other side is sad and moving.
When Buffon announced his retirement, which moment did he leave your first impression?
From 1994 to 2023, Buffon’s career lasted for 30 years. Its image data was too rich, with the glory of winning the World Cup in 2006 and the glory of 10 Serie A champions, there are also three Champions League runner-up, one European Cup runner-up, and no World Cup regret.
In the past 30 years, we have crossed four times and experienced two generations of players. Buffon has left too many great moments for the football world. The match against ac milan was born and the moscow snow war was in danger, the final of the champions league in dream theater was in vain. Zidane’s header was thrown out when the world cup final was added. The european cup team ran to celebrate the battle of life and death. The semi-final of the champions league touched mbapei’s head. The world cup play-off battle of life and death rushed to the forbidden zone of the other side…
Every time the star retired, it made a generation sad to say goodbye to youth. However, the retirement of Buffon is different. He is a group of youth after 75 s and 80 s. He is a group of childhood memories after 90 s. He is the legend in the heart after 00 s.
In Buffon, he once competed with father and son of Turam, Simone, kiyesa and VIA. Naturally, there were many fans. His father’s youth was Buffon, and Buffon was still there when he watched the ball. There are Buffon in my youth. Now I have children, and Buffon is still there.
[Small World Cup, where dreams begin]]
Zola, Stojkovic, Brambila, Kripa, Dino-Baggio, benalivo, Saint-Saini, Kuto, Cannavaro, Muxi, Buffon.
This was the first start of the main team in the 10th round of serie a, parma 0-0AC milan on november 19, 1995. Due to the injury of the main goalkeeper luca butch, the 17-year-old Buffon ushered in the first game of his career, the AC Milan lineup opposite him is more luxurious: Sebastian Rossi, Panucci, Costacurta, Barresi, maltini, deselli, Albertini, Elano, Boban, Robert Baggio, George Vera.
Buffon was the youngest player in that game, and the oldest player was Barresi, who is now 63 years old. In the face of the flourishing Milan, Buffon high-altitude resistance, and strive to ensure that goal will not lose. Seeing the 17-year-old Buffon, will you also feel that you can’t help feeling that you are so handsome young Buffon!
AC Milan, the opponent of Buffon come to fame in an activity, will also give Buffon the biggest regret and the biggest controversy in the future.
Buffon was born in a sports family. My mother was the champion of shot and discus in China. My father also practiced shot. My uncle was a basketball player and my sister was a volleyball player, lorenzo-Buffon, a former Italian national, was his grandfather’s cousin.
In 1991, 13-year-old Buffon entered the Parma youth team. Buffon of the idols were Cameroonian goalkeeper Thomas enkono. Influenced by him, Buffon reelected the position of goalkeeper from the midfield, he also named his son Thomas to pay tribute to his idol.
In 1994, the 16-year-old Buffon trained with the first team of Parma. In 1995, Buffon officially entered the first team. Interestingly, the debut of Buffon did not leave a pre-match photo, because he ran to the forbidden zone after holding the bracelet festival.
In the 1996-97 season, Palma gradually sat on the main force Buffon and helped Palma rank second in Serie A. At that time, Palma coach was exactly Ancelotti we were familiar.
October 29, 1997, another important day in Buffon’s life. In the FIFA World Cup qualification play-off with Russia, the main goalkeeper paruca was injured in the first half. The 19-year-old Buffon substitute came out and finished the first show of the national team: “The weather was very bad that night, and the snow fell heavily, the venue was muddy, and this was my first show of the Italian team.”
Two decades, magical reincarnation. In the FIFA World Cup qualification play-off in 1997, against Russia in Buffon, the national team made its debut. In the FIFA World Cup qualification play-off in 2017, against Sweden in Buffon, the national team officially ended the match. It was the Russia World Cup that Italy missed, and the last time it failed, it was the Sweden World Cup in 1958.
In the 1998 World Cup in France, 20-year-old Buffon competed with 26-year-old Toldo and 31-year-old parluca. Buffon sat on the bench and witnessed Italy’s defeat against France penalty kick the 1/4 final, stop 12 yards for three consecutive World Cups!
In the 1998-99 season, Buffon and Parma reached the peak. They ranked fourth in Serie A and won the Italian Cup and the UEFA Cup. In addition to Buffon, the Parma also has stars such as tulam, Cannavaro, Bellon, Crespo, kiyesa, Fiore, etc. With outstanding performance, Buffon won the Bravo Award (the best newcomer in Europe) in 1999, was elected as the best goalkeeper in Serie A for the first time (13 times in his career), and was nominated for the Golden Globe Award for the first time. That year, Buffon 22 years old.
In the 2000 European Cup qualifier, Buffon was already the main goalkeeper of the Italian national team, which could be invented. Buffon was injured in the warm-up match with Norway before the European Cup, and was replaced by Toldo without final table, this also made the European Cup semi-final against the Dutch team, Tordo.
In 2001, Buffon was re-elected as the best goalkeeper of Serie A and entered the top three of the best goalkeeper of IFFHS for the first time. In IFFHS’s annual best goalkeeper selection, 14 times entered the top three history in Buffon, 5 awards tied up with Neuer and Kasi, and Buffon was also rated as the best goalkeeper in history by IFFHS, the best goalkeeper in 2001-2010, the best goalkeeper in 1987-2012 and the best goalkeeper in 21th century.
Buffon competitors, from Cahn in 1969to van der Sar in 1970, Dida in 1973, Cesar in 1979, CAXI in 1981, Cech in 1982, Neuer in 1986 and kurtuva in 1992. In 2018, Buffon was selected into the top three of the awards for the last time.
When choosing the best goalkeeper, many fans think that the best goalkeeper in their country is the second Buffon, so Buffon is also named “World II Gate”. Buffon is not necessarily the best, but it is always one of the best.
[100 billion lire, golden door-God]]
On July 3, 2001, Buffon joined Juventus with a record transfer fee of 100 billion liras (52.88 million euros). The record of this goalkeeper transfer fee was not broken by Alisen and Capa until 17 years later, and still ranks third in history.
Before Buffon, the transfer fee record for the goalkeeper position was only 19 million euros when peruji joined Inter Milan. At that time, the transfer fee of Buffon in the whole football can also be ranked fourth in history, second only to Zidane, Figo and Crespo.
Before Buffon, it was hard to imagine that the goalkeeper would be so valuable. Who would spend so much money for the goalkeeper? The transfer of Buffon is a good name for the goalkeeper. Only 23 goals were lost in 34 Serie A games in the Buffon debut season, helping Juve in the last round of anti-Inter Milan. In the 02-03 season, only 23 goals were lost in Buffon, helping Juve defend the Serie A champion!
In the Champions League, we continued to perform wonderful performances Buffon, and the semi-final round of the Champions League with Real Madrid. Facing Figo’s penalty kick, Buffon refused to save the Bianconeri!
Facing AC Milan in the final, the ultimate rescue of Inzaghi on Buffon made the nine Masters shocked!
Buffon later said in his autobiography that this was the most difficult rescue he had made in his career. Inzaghi recalled: “Until now, I will show this scene to my goalkeeper coach and then ask him: ‘How did he do it? He is obviously moving towards the other side! He was really good. He stopped the goal.”
In the penalty kick war, Buffon jumped out the penalty kick of Seedorf and Kaladze, But Dida jumped out the Salaya of Trezeguet, Montero tower and penalty kick. Sheva made a final decision, and the champion belonged to the Rossoneri! This final became the eternal regret in Buffon’s heart: “I threw out 2 penalty kick, but we lost 3, which is really a pity. Because with that performance, I could have been the hero of that game.”
In 2003, the 25-year-old Buffon created four milestones: the first election as a football player of UEFA club (the predecessor of Uefa’s player of the year, the only winning goalkeeper), for the first time, he was elected as the best team of the year in uefa (5 times in his career), the best goalkeeper of the year in IFFHS for the first time (5 times in his career), and won the golden globe vote for the first time (ranked ninth, 11 times of career nomination as the goalkeeper). In 2004, Buffon was nominated for the first time as a world football player.
But in the international arena, the experience of Buffon has always been a bit unlucky. In 1998, the world cup failed to appear. In 2000, the european cup failed because of injury. In 2002, the world cup was killed by an zhenghuan golden ball, and the european cup in 2004 was made by the suspected tacit ball between sweden and denmark. I wanted to cry without tears.
[Perfect World Cup, Italy’s midsummer]]
When the 2006 world cup came, Buffon and italy were caught in the haze of the telephone incident, and Buffon was accused of gambling. With controversy, Buffon came to the world cup in germany. After the first 2-0 victory over ghana, Buffon was questioned by the reporter of rome sports news:
“The future of Juve is uncertain. How much does this affect you?”
“Juve can continue to exist for 100 years, so no Juve player will worry about his future.”
“Are you in Juve’s plan?”
“I will make a decision, and now I need to wait.”
“Even if Juve downgraded?”
“I won’t be shocked if Juve drops to Level B or level C.”
“Because of Real Madrid……”
“I know who Real Madrid is, but I am still not sure about my future. It takes time for Juve and me. If you allow me, now there is a World Cup, I want a perfect World Cup.”
The calm Buffon finally got a perfect World Cup. Of course, the team’s battle against the United States, Zaccardo’s oolong ball, is a flaw in the perfection expected by Buffon. This is also the only YILI Italian goal before the final.
At the end of the group, 2-0 Czech, Italy successfully finished; 1/8 final, Italy 1-0 Australia, Buffon was elected the best in the whole game; 1/4 final, Italy 3-0 Ukraine, Buffon head hit the column to rescue the danger; the semi-final, Italy 2-0 Germany, is another great match!
In the 112th minute, facing the iconic left foot burst on the left side of the Podolski penalty area, Buffon stretched out his right arm to block the ball out! This save was later listed by ESPN as one of the top ten saves in World Cup history!
Grosso’s goal with Piero helped Italy advance to the final. In the 7th minute of the final, Zidane’s spoon penalty kick played Buffon, which was the second goal of the Buffon World Cup. But in overtime, Buffon completed what he called the most important rescue in his career. In the 104th minute, Zidane’s header was almost perfect, but Buffon saved Italy again! He stretched out his right arm and lifted up, trying to keep goal! In 2018, Gazzetta dello Sport selected the greatest rescue in Buffon career, ranking first in this rescue!
In the second half of overtime, Buffon protested against Zidane’s head of martrazi to the referee. After the match, he said, “I feel a little uneasy because I asked a player like Zidane to be sent off, but to be honest, I clearly saw his behavior-terrible behavior. He should be shown a red card.”
In the penalty kick war, Buffon was lucky, because facing the penalty kick of viltodd, Trezeguet, Abidal and saniol, Buffon all judged the wrong direction, but what about that? His club player Trezeguet hit the door frame and Italy became the world champion! Three years ago, Buffon played twice in the Champions League final, but the team lost. Now he has judged the wrong direction four times, but the team has won.
Buffon achieved honor bumper harvest in 2006, the best goalkeeper in the world cup, the best team in the world cup, the best team in uefa and fifa, the second place in the golden globe (the highest individual), and the eighth place for the world’s football players.
With the glory of the World Cup champion, Juventus were ordered to be demoted to Serie B, deprived of two Serie A champions, and the new season’s Serie B was deducted by 9 points. At this time, Buffon chose to stay, as well as camoranesi, nedved, piero and trezeguet. They left a loyal story of “brad pitt. There are also Deshang who returned to lead the team. They all have lofty status in the hearts of Juve fans. They interpret what is “sharing honor and disgrace”.
Buffon helped juve return to serie a soon, and was elected the best goalkeeper of serie a for the eighth time in 2008, winning the golden globe nomination for six consecutive years. This year, Buffon ushered in the year of establishment. He renewed his contract with Juventus for five years and wanted to return to the top with the club!
[Enemy of life, friend of Life]]
In Euro 2008, Italy lost to Holland in the first game of 0-3 and Romania in the second game. If you lose again, Italy will be out! In the case of 1-1, facing Mutu’s penalty kick, Buffon saved Italy! Italy defeated France 2-0 in the battle of life and death!
In the 1/4 final with Spain, Buffon met his lifelong enemy and lifelong friend-Casillas. They were the best goalkeeper in the world at that time, a navy blue guarding the mediterranean, surging like the sea, and a red robe guarding the matador, burning like fire. Juventus eliminated Real Madrid in the Champions League semi-final of the 02-03 season, which was the first encounter with Cassie Buffon.
He fought with Cassie 18 times in his career in Buffon, winning 6 times and drawing 6 times each. In the Champions League elimination match, he met Cassie four times in Buffon, and Juve, where he was in Buffon, was promoted. Cassie followed Real Madrid and Porto four times and was eliminated by Juve. However, due to fate, Cassie won the Champions League three times, but only three runner-up Buffon.
In the national team, Cassie eliminated Buffon three times, including Euro 2008, Euro 2012 and Federation Cup 2013. In the 2004 European Cup 1/4 final, Cassie and Buffon, the captains of the two teams talked and laughed. In that year, the World Football selected 108 football players. Buffon was “Jade armsmith” and Cassie was “Holy hand scholar”. They achieved the ultimate with jade arm and holy hand in football projects!
In the penalty kick war, Cassie jumped out of Drosh’s penalty kick, while Buffon jumped out of Guisa’s penalty kick. But then, Cassie jumped out of DiNatale’s penalty kick and defeated Buffon in the 12-yard duel!
Since 2008, Kasi has achieved five Lianzhuang in the selection of IFFHS best goalkeeper, surpassing Buffon at one stroke. After that, Neuer achieved four Lianzhuang, and was not re-elected until Buffon in 2017.
In Buffon, Kasi and Neuer monopolized the awards of IFFHS best goalkeeper from 2006 to 2017. They successively became the world champion goalkeeper, but in terms of honor, cassie has three Champions League champions and two European Cup champions, Neuer has two Champions League champions, but Buffon has no European champions.
In 2017, Buffon and Cassie fought for the last time. Maybe Buffon will envy Cassie and admire him for winning the European Cup and the Champions League, standing on the top of Europe and enjoying the glory of the Championship. Maybe Cassie will envy Buffon, envy him to experience the trough and peak with his beloved team, never abandon each other and guard his beloved goal.
Someone asked Cassie when you would retire. Cassie said that I would retire Buffon. But in the end, Cassie lost his appointment. He officially announced his retirement in 2020. Buffon said, “Thank you, Cassie. Without you, everything would not be so meaningful.” Cassie said, “Thank you, Gigi. This is a big hug, my friend.”
[Back to the peak, age is just a number]]
In the 2010 World Cup in South Africa, the defending champion team was out in the first half of Buffon due to injury. He was diagnosed as Buffon outstanding in intervertebral disc and only played 17 times in the 10-11 season, which was his lowest attendance in 23 seasons around 1996-2019. In the 11-12 season, Buffon played 35 games in Serie A, lost only 16 goals, completed 21 games with zero seals (Serie A record), and helped Juve regain the championship of Serie A with an unbeaten record of 23 wins and 15 draws!
The 34-year-old Buffon returned to its peak, with 82 percent of the success rate of save-out winning the five major leagues. His most famous save-out took place in the 25th round of the match against AC Milan. Buffon jumped the header of Montelli out of the line, and this moment has made Milan fans bitter. Buffon frankly said that the header of Montari did cross the door line, and Milan had the right to complain.
Conte’s 352 formation, the BBC defense line composed of barzali, bonouchi and Chiellini, allowed Juve to establish his own dynasty in Serie A. The iron wall of the copper wall is not as good as barzali, reinforced concrete, not as good as kijelini, and the “God” bonouchi. In Euro 2012, Prandelli copied this line of defense directly to the national team.
Italy continued the tradition of slow heat in the competition. After defeating Ireland 2-0 at the end of the war, Buffon heard the news of the team’s promotion and waved his arms to the audience excitedly!
1/4 final against England, Buffon caught Ashley Cole’s penalty kick and protected Italy to move on!
Italy continued the tradition of German nemesis in the semi-final, and eliminated the opponent twice by virtue of Ba Shen’s Mei Kai. However, in the final, Buffon goal was penetrated four times, and Buffon was somewhat helpless, the Spanish team became an insurmountable peak for him.
In the 2014 World Cup, Buffon stopped the group match with Italy again. At the last moment of the match with Uruguay, Buffon rushed into the penalty area, indicating that the old teammate Pirlo passed the ball to himself, but Pirlo passed it on, this is also the last pass of the Italian team in the World Cup so far!
Two more years later, Italy brought surprises again in the European Cup. The 38-year-old Buffon has been sealed for zero consecutive times in Belgium, Sweden, and Spain. Pique’s advance is close at hand, but Buffon still jumped the ball quickly!
Another 120-minute battle against Germany. In the penalty kick war, Buffon jumped out of Muller’s penalty kick, fighting for three consecutive European Cup penalty kick.
In the ninth round, Buffon met the penalty kick of Hektor, but missed it from his armpit. Italy was sorry to be out. Buffon didn’t expect that it would be his last intercontinental competition!
We cannot imagine Italy without Buffon or Juventus without Buffon. In the 14-15 season, Juve returned to the Champions League final after 12 years. The 37-year-old Buffon reappeared the Magic Rescue. When he lost his focus, he closed Alves’s shot with one arm! However, the MSN-led Barcelona was too horrible, and Juve finally lost 1-3.
In the 16-17 season, Buffon led Juve to enter the Champions League final again. Buffon guarded goal lost only 3 goals eight times in the first 11 games of the final, including zero MSN in two rounds. But they can enter the final. They are facing Real Madrid again. A game of 1-4 makes Buffon hate again!
At this time, Buffon was 39 years old. He pressed noir and Navas to win the first FIFA Annual Best Goalkeeper Award and was elected as Serie A MVP, becoming the first goalkeeper to win this honor. In addition, in Buffon, he entered the top three of Uefa’s player of the year with Ronaldo Massey, ranking fourth in both the Golden Globe Award and the world’s Mr. Football Award.
There are 17-year-old genius goalkeepers and 39-year-old door-God, but 17-year-old and 39-year-old are both top goalkeepers, which may only be Buffon.
In the 17-18 season, the Champions League was hit again in Buffon. After losing to Real Madrid at home 0-3 in the first round, Juventus’s 3-0 away round almost created a miracle. But in the make-up phase, Vazquez made penalty kick and rushed angrily to the referee Oliver Buffon and was sent off by a red card. The glaring eyes told the desire of a 40-year-old veteran for the Champions League.
In the 18-19 season, he joined Paris Saint Germain Buffon, but was killed again by penalty kick in the 1/8 final. Sitting on the ground Buffon, he made a fatal mistake in this competition. At this moment, he may think again that he will never win the Champions League.
From its first appearance in the Champions League in September 1997 (0-0 Sparta Prague) to its last appearance in the Champions League in December 2020 (3-0 Barcelona), it played 124 games in the Champions League Buffon, it is the most games played of the players without Champions League, tied with IBU.
But this will not affect the legend of Buffon. He has kept too many great records:
674 league appearances, the first of the five major league matches;
657 Serie A appearances, the first in history;
975 club appearances, the first person in Italian football;
176 National team appearances, the first in Italy;
Representing Juve in 61412 minutes, the first person in Young Pioneer Team history;
10 Serie A champions, the first one in Serie A;
299 Serie A zero seal, Serie A first person;
Zero seal for 10 consecutive games, no ball loss for 974 consecutive minutes, Serie A zero seal record holder;
1151 appearances in his career, 506 games with zero marks, the first 500 + zero men’s goalkeeper;
……
In the summer of 2021, he bid farewell to Juve again in Buffon. He played 685 games for the Bianconeri and won 10 Serie A championships, 1 Serie B Championship, 5 Italian Cup championships and 6 Supercoppa Italiana championships, and the three Champions League runner-up.
Juventus bid farewell to Buffon with deep affection: “You have shown the stability and reliability of the champion, and your smile can dispel all fears. You bring invincible faith to supporters and teammates. You give us the reason to have dreams and let them shine into reality. We are part of your story, and you are part of us. Thank you, Gigi! I wish you all the best in the future.”
Back to Parma, back to the place where the dream began, played 45 times Buffon, completed 13 games with zero seals, and achieved 506 career sessions with zero seals, becoming the first man in the history of men’s football. On May 30, Serie A upgraded the semi-final of the play-off, and the first half of the Buffon was injured, ending the last battle of his career!
In this battle, his teammate Boni was 18 years old and was born in 2003. In the first world war of his career, rival Barresi was born in 1960. The opponent of Buffon career has experienced the post-60 s, the Post-70 s, the Post-80 s, the Post-90 s and the Post-00 s. It is worth mentioning that, one week after the first show against Milan on Buffon, the game against Juve competed with the Juve central defender vilchoward on Buffon. Vilchoward was born in 1959and was the champion of Italy’s World Cup in 1982, he also became the representative of the 50 s in his Buffon career rivals.
How to describe the greatness of Buffon? Every data, every record, every moment, is a great portrayal. The span of nearly 30 years is too long. But for a long time, there will always be an end point. The existence of Buffon once made us forget the end of time, as if he was there. The Legend of the post-70s was still there, and Parma in the 90s was still there, italy was still there in the 2006 World Cup, and the story of “Brad Pitt” was still there. Thank you, Buffon. You have carried those memories for too long. You seem to be a memory palace, a living fossil, and your story is an epic.
But you said goodbye and turned over all the past. It turned out that even Buffon could not save time. Then I wish you a gentle time in the future.
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