Buffon, the feeling of being invincible

The goalkeeper sets the record for Italy lacked: 974 minutes without suffering a goal. It will seek his sixth World in 2018, a universal milestone

On November 12, 2006, the Board of Juventus paid a full - page ads in the three major sports newspapers in Italy, Tuttosport, La Gazzetta dello Sport and Corriere dello Sport, with a message that read: " 'Your shirt says who you are " . Below were several photographs of Buffon and this text. "Society, colleagues, supporters and partners give thanks to Gigi Buffon is still and will always be our number one" The Turin club paid tribute to his goalkeeper copy because he had decided to stay play with the Bianconeri in the Italian second division rather than use his fame and his recent title of the World Cup to star in a historic transfer and economic business. The City made ​​him an astronomical proposal. The Bianconeri team down by being involved in the betting scandal calcium. His form continued with them. Now, at 38, has won the penultimate milestone in his career: the unbeaten record of Italian football: 974 minutes. Sunday surpassed the record of Sebastiano Rossi, 929 minutes, dating from 1993. Belotti, a penalty, brake your brand . But think get more.

"At 38 am better than ever , " says Buffon . Four - time winner award for Best Goalkeeper of the Year, Silver Ball in 2006 behind compatriot Cannavaro, is also considered the best goalkeeper in the last quarter century and the twenty - first century.

Tomy N'Kono, the culprit

Gianluigi Buffon decided to be because of the Cameroonian goalkeeper Thomas Nkono, whose performances in the 1990 World Cup in Italy sparked his vocation. Over time, the Spanish excancerbero has consistently praised the ability of the Italian to become the world 's number one goalkeeper. Buffon's second son called Louis Thomas in honor of his African friend , who triumphed in the Spanish football with their stops, feet and hands, and that black tracksuit that hid her legs mystery of our league. We never saw her shins.

Euro

Invincibility increases the feeling of impregnable goalkeepers. It gives them life. They are heroes. Almost inhuman . Extraterrestrials. Buffon has lived many times that feeling since 1996 won the UEFA European Under-21 Championship. In 1997 he made ​​his debut A. It takes 154 games with Italy. It is the record holder history of your country. And now he played his last European Championship in France, in search of one of the two titles that are missing in his resume. The other is the Champions League, which deprived the Barcelona last year . Your challenge is to reach the World Cup 2018. He thinks Russia has conditions to be the captain of his sixth World, which would be a universal record.

"No" to 20 million annually

Buffon did not get a goal on 64 minutes Scudetto from Sampdoria-Juventus, played on January 10, when it was surpassed by Antonio Cassano exmadridista. Since then he has achieved ten wins in eleven games. Raul Albiol could break this record in the Juventus-Napoli, but his shot was cleared by N'Kono friend and Casillas. It is commendable friendship with other gatekeepers international level. It is a myth.

Gianluigi rejected in 2012 the best of his life: Shakhtar Donetsk offered 20 million euros per season. Is his character that does not look at the money and if the commitment since he started his professional career in 1995 when he debuted at 17 in a Parma-Milan. In 2001 he was signed by Juventus and at home he continues, with 573 matches on the pocket.

Recently he explained why he said 'no' in 2006, after being world champion, to supply the City, to stay in the Turin club: "I chose to descend to Second because I thought of you, kids (he said to the young followers) . And I thought of you because there are times when you have to stop talking and act. I think I did the right thing . "

He divorced the Czech model Alena Seredova in 2014, mother of his two children, Louis Thomas and David Lee. Now it is rumored that comes with the sports commentator Ilaria D'Amico. But that is another story.