Gigi Buffon admits Roberto Mancini has some responsibility for Italy’s World Cup fiasco and believes he wouldn’t be called up had Italy qualified for Qatar 2022.
The 2006 Italy World Cup winner played his last game with the Azzurri against Argentina in 2018. Gian Piero Ventura had already been sacked after failing to qualify for Russia 2018 and Gigi Di Biagio was in charge of the Azzurri, waiting for Roberto Mancini’s appointment.
Buffon has not officially retired from international football and was hoping to get a call-up for Qatar 2022 if Italy had qualified.
“Meritocracy is on my side, but I don’t think I’d have been called up,” he told La Stampa newspaper.
“There are other things that have precedence and that must be respected. Given the choices made in the last few years, it’s the right thing.”
Buffon had claimed in previous interviews that he hoped to play at Qatar 2022.
“When Slovakia eliminated us at the 2010 World Cup, I understood that things were changing and that we should have also celebrated for qualifying,” he continued.
“Since then, we’ve had illusions, glory moments such as the Euros, but I was not wrong. We are unique, we know how to stick together in difficult moments, but when we are not super-motivated, we can lose against anyone.”
Buffon partially blamed Mancini for Italy’s elimination from the World Cup play-offs. The Azzurri did not even manage to beat North Macedonia in the semis, suffering a 1-0 loss in Palermo.
“Mancini was the main architect of our rebirth, with the win at Euros. However, he also has responsibility after such a huge blow,” the goalkeeper said.
“There are many ways to be eliminated. Nobody would say anything had Italy been eliminated on penalties by Portugal, but after losing to North Macedonia, it’s much more difficult to start again.”
Buffon is under contract with Parma in Serie B and has recently extended his stay at the club until 2024, when he’ll be 46.
if when he is not in the selection for a team that can’t even qualify he makes himself the center of the story. somebody please take out putin and while you are at it unplug buffon’s microphone…permanently
why don’t you buffon coach Italy?!
Buffon has a ‘dust bin for a heart’
The evil that men do live after them the good is of interned in their bones(Julius Cesare).
Punto e basta.
Of course it is Mancinis fault! Who els should we blame?
Buffon is the only one who has the courage to say what all Italians already think about the fiasco with the national team.
Mancini’s Italy created over 30 chances against North Macedonia and didn’t score. They missed penalties in qualifying. Last I checked, the manager doesn’t play on the field. Mancini set them up to win and the players failed. Buffon is sour grapes. He should be quiet.
It’s an interview, of course he’s gonna answer questions about himself.
And Mancinin is partially responsible for always sticking with the same players even when they are underperforming.
Should have given chances to youngsters.
Joao Pedro was the only replacement for Immobile…. who’s responsible for that?
I agree Ranvanelli! Maybe it was my fault that Italy sucked. Player selection makes a big impact on a game or games as far as I know. Who choses the players. The coach of course.
Balotelli should have played, he would have won it for us
Buffon has many qualities, but he has a big ego. Hence why he can’t bare to retire.
Future italy squads should invole these guys
Carnessechi Cragno Donnarumma Vicario
Bastoni Bellanova Bonucci Calabria Cambiaso Di Lorenzo Gatti Lovato Mancini Okoli Parisi LucaPellegrini Romagnoli Scalvini Spinazzola Udogie Viti Zanoli
Barella (Bove when he actually plays) Fagioli Frattesi Locatelli LorenzoPellegrini Pobega Ricci Rovella Tonali Verratti
Chiesa Scamacca Zaniolo Raspadori Zaccagni
Hopefully people like Lorenzo Lucca, Colombo, Luca Moro and Nasti and Zerbin and Gaetano get a chance to shine also in the coming years
I was hoping to read what specifically is Mancini to blame.
Buffon, you should keep quite as you were also part of many NT’s for Italy that failed in Euro and WC matches. At the end of the day it’s the players on the field who are responsible to win, not the coach. Mancini’s only fault was trusting many of the same players who were capable enough to win the Euro but then magically turn bad against a nobody team like Macedonia instead of rolling the dice with many new and untested players in a critical match. Can any coach really be blamed for thinking this way? Could he envision Insigne transforming from a great player in the Euro’s to a worthless turd in such a critical match?
Bit fed up of Buffon and his opinion all the time, another player in Italy like many who should retire and let youth come in, players like Buffon who want to play till they are 100 are also part of the problem, Grazie e addio
Gman , Italy were very lucky with timely goals and penalties to win the Euro’s . The coach should have had the courage to recognize this and got rid of useless Insigne,Jorhingo, Immobile and a worn out Barella . Moise Kean,PInamonti and Scammaca need to feature in new Italia set-up .
Michele, yeah I get it, the Italy team that won the Euro’s sucked. The players that won that tournament were just extremely lucky. BS. Italy were lucky against 1 team only and that was Spain. Against every other team they went head to head with them and won. Period. As for Kean, no and you would know that if you’ve seen him in any recent games. Please, lets send players that “deserve” to be on the team through performances not because they are just 18 years old.
It’s Euros not Euro’s.
@Gman – 👏. I’m not sure why people claim to support the Azzurri and, even after winning a major tournament, they still find any reason to criticise the coach and players or claim the victory was luck. England had arguably the easiest run of fixtures through WC2018, Euro2020 and WCQs playing rubbish football. None of their fans called them lucky. Who’s to say these unwarranted criticisms didn’t also impact the players that played so well with no fear or expectations at the Euros. With fans like these, who needs enemies.