- Title: Italian keeper Buffon hangs up gloves after 28 years
- Date: 2nd August 2023
- Summary: MONTE CARLO, MONACO (OCTOBER 11, 2016) (REUTERS) ***WARNING: CONTAINS FLASH PHOTOGRAPHY*** ITALIAN GOALKEEPER, GIANLUIGI BUFFON, ARRIVING AT CEREMONY TO COLLECT GOLDEN FOOT AWARD BUFFON BEING PRESENTED WITH GOLDEN FOOT AWARD BY PRINCE ALBERT OF MONACO BUFFON ON STAGE WITH OTHERS ALSO RECOGNISED IN GOLDEN FOOT CEREMONY BUFFON SIGNING AN AUTOGRAPH PARIS, FRANCE (JULY 9, 2018) (REUTERS) VARIOUS OF PARIS SAINT GERMAIN PRESIDENT NASSER AL KHELAIFI AND BUFFON ON PITCH AFTER SIGNING FOR PSG SINGAPORE (JULY 27, 2018) (REUTERS) BUFFON WARMING UP VARIOUS OF BUFFON TRAINING WIDE SHOT OF STADIUM SINGAPORE (FILE - JULY 20, 2019) (REUTERS) BUFFON, STRAPPING HIS GLOVES AND WALKING INTO GOAL AT TRAINING AFTER RESIGNING FOR JUVENTUS BUFFON DURING A TRAINING MATCH BUFFON SMILING AHEAD OF AUTOGRAPH SIGNING SESSION VARIOUS OF BUFFON SIGNING AUTOGRAPHS RIYADH, SAUDI ARABIA (FILE - DECEMBER 21, 2019) (REUTERS) BUFFON WARMING UP NANJING, CHINA (FILE - JULY 23, 2019) (REUTERS) VARIOUS OF BUFFON SAVING BALL DURING TRAINING
- Embargoed: 16th August 2023 16:02
- Keywords: Italy Juventus PSG Serie A World Cup
- Location: VARIOUS
- City: VARIOUS
- Country: Italy
- Topics: Europe,Soccer,Sport
- Reuters ID: LVA00G176902082023RP1
- Aspect Ratio: 16:9
- Story Text:Italian goalkeeper Gianluigi Buffon has retired from football, the 45-year-old announced on Wednesday, after 28 years in which he reached exceptional milestones for club and country.
Buffon, who in 2006 lifted the World Cup, won 10 Serie A titles with Juventus and a Ligue 1 title with Paris St Germain.
"That's all folks! You gave me everything. I gave you everything. We did it together," Buffon said in a statement.
Widely regarded as one of the greatest keepers of all time, he ended his career where he started, at Parma who are in the Italian second tier, having struggled with injuries in his final season.
Buffon joined Juve from Parma in 2001 and spent most of his career with the club, except for a season at PSG in 2018-19, before returning to Turin and then to Parma in June 2021.
Buffon began his career in Parma's youth system in 1991 aged 13, initially playing in midfield before adapting to the role of goalkeeper due to his height and physical attributes.
He made his Serie A debut for Parma in a goalless draw against AC Milan in November 1995 at the age of 17.
Buffon played a record 657 times in the Italian top flight and was UEFA Club Footballer of the Year in 2003.
He is the most capped goalkeeper of all time, having played 176 times for Italy.
He retired from international football in 2018 after Italy failed to qualify for the 2018 World Cup in Russia.
(Production: Andy Ragg) - Copyright Holder: FILE REUTERS (CAN SELL)
- Copyright Notice: (c) Copyright Thomson Reuters 2023. Open For Restrictions - http://about.reuters.com/fulllegal.asp
- Usage Terms/Restrictions: None