Gianluigi Buffon is a name that needs no introduction in the world of football. After making his debut for Parma in 1995, the feisty Italian quickly rose through the ranks and established himself as one of the best in the business.
Hit the fast forward button and 25 years later Buffon is still donning his mitts and playing at the highest level for Juventus, having racked up no less than a staggering 912 club appearances during his glittering career, and also appeared 176 times for Italy.
At the sweet ‘young’ age of 42 years, Buffon is the understudy to Wojciech Szczęsny and doesn’t in any way appear to be slowing down nor does he look like he’s about to hang up his gloves anytime soon.
Fabrizio Romano has the latest news that Gianluigi Buffon is smacking his lips and getting ready to extend his contract until the end of the 2020/21 season, alongside fellow veteran Giorgio Chiellini.
Tuttosport takes it a step further and claims Buffon has already agreed to a new contract and will sign the new deal soon.
Is it possible that he’s extending his career due to his desire to win the Champions League? After all, the man with the chequered career has won everything there is to win in football, including the World Cup in 11 league titles.
But it’s the elusive Champions League is the Holy Grail that has escaped his grasp time and again, having been in numerous finals but never lifting the title.
Although no longer the starting goalkeeper anymore, his determination to be part of a Champions League winning side is undaunted.
Former Italy teammates Fransesco Totti and Fabio Cannavaro were recently discussing how long they think Buffon will play for.
“I’ll tell you; Gigi wants to play until he’s 50. But he can play for two or three more seasons. Besides, he’s in goal and is a back-up,” Totti told Cannavaro on Instagram, per football-italia. .
Cannavaro agreed and said when Buffon does stop, it will be against his will.
“Well, you’ll know it. He won’t want to stop, but they will make him stop, which is very different,” the former Juventus centre-back replied.
Buffon spoke in December 2019 about his future, saying that it’s the passion he has for the game that’s preventing him from retiring.
“The reason I keep playing is that I can give myself, along with my team-mates and this club, many beautiful emotions that are worth living,” he said to Goal. “The thing that most interests me personally, more than the games, is the role that I can play here at Juve with my team-mates, staff and managers.
“With regards to the future, I let life show me the way: at this moment I would do myself an injury if I thought I would stop playing, because I feel I am a point of reference, beyond the games that are played.”
It certainly looks like the man that many have acclaimed as probably the greatest goalkeeper ever will not be riding off into the sunset for a while yet. The itch in the palms is still too great to resist.