Juventus Coach Massimiliano Allegri believes Gianluigi Buffon deserves to win the Ballon d’Or before he retires.
The Bianconeri captain came second in the voting for the 2006 award, losing to compatriot Fabio Cannavaro, and Allegri believes he deserves the highest individual award in the game.
“I never speak about goalkeepers,” Allegri reminded journalists in his Press conference ahead of the Napoli game.
Juventus Coach Massimiliano Allegri believes Gianluigi Buffon deserves to win the Ballon d’Or before he retires.
The Bianconeri captain came second in the voting for the 2006 award, losing to compatriot Fabio Cannavaro, and Allegri believes he deserves the highest individual award in the game.
“I never speak about goalkeepers,” Allegri reminded journalists in his Press conference ahead of the Napoli game.
“I’m happy to speak about Buffon, because he’s an outstanding goalkeeper. More than being a great professional, he’s a man with great values.
“I believe that, in regard to the career he’s had, he deserves the Ballon d’Or, irrespective of what does or doesn’t happen in the [Champions League] final.
“It’s almost redundant to praise Buffon, because it’s so easy, but it’s difficult for a goalkeeper like him to keep being reborn year after year.
“The Champions League final? It’s important to Buffon, and it’s important for the team, but we need cool heads to play that game.
“We cannot be in awe of a Barcelona which has three extraordinary players in the front-three, and a player in midfield like [Andres] Iniesta, who gives a team more time.
“Above all we must try and spoil the goodbye party of a great champions in Xavi, an extraordinary player in the history of Barcelona and world football.”
With Serie A and the Coppa Italia wrapped up, most questions in the Press conference inevitably centred on the Champions League, but Allegri was at pains to point out that the match is still two weeks away.
“Barcelona are used to playing in semi-finals and finals, they’ve played a lot of different ones, and have one so many in recent years.
“It’s important for us to be positive, because the more positive we are the better things go. The more we’re negative, the more bad things happen.
“So right now there’s a lot of positivity around the club, and that’s fundamental.
“It doesn’t take the pressure of us and put it on Barcelona, though. It’s a final, and we mustn’t think about it now, but in a couple of days.
“We have to think about it after the last game, we have to think about the League, we can’t spend all day saying ‘June 6 is Barcelona’.
“June 6 is June 6, it’s still 15 days away. Everyone needs a little patience to get to June 6.
“What will I say to the players? I still have to think about that, I still have 15 days to do that, but I won’t say much.
“In that game, there will be no need to say much, we’ll just play.
“I’ve still to congratulate the team for the season they’ve had, and are having, because it isn’t over yet.”