Gianluigi Buffon has revealed why he decided to join Parma instead of Milan at the start of his professional career.
The 2006 World Cup winner started his playing career with the Emilian side, joining the first team in 1994. He spent seven years with the senior team, making a name for himself as one of the best young goalkeepers in the world. His work saw him command a world record transfer fee in 2001, when Juventus paid over €52m to secure his signature. It’s no secret what happened next in Turin.
Speaking to students of the La Salle institute, Buffon first discussed why he choice Parma instead of Milan at the start of his career, pointing to historic goalkeeping coach Ermes Fulgoni.
“Ermes decided to turn my life upside down, he was the one who brought me here. When I was a boy, in my head, until May I had almost decided to go and play for Milan, then I came to Parma for a trial and I remember that when I arrived I was infected by Ermes’ enthusiasm, his determination and his cheerfulness that made me change my mind.
“If I had not met him, my sporting life would have been different, but hardly better than the one I lived. This means that sometimes you have to surrender to the sensations and emotions that certain people give you.
“On that day he enraptured me and struck me so much, because he had a way of involving me, a way of working that I had never seen before and that excited me. That was the decisive factor in my choice of Parma.”
The veteran Italian goalkeeper then touched on why he decided to return to Parma once his contract with Juventus ended.
“I don’t know how to say it, Parma has always felt part of me, a special city, like my refuge. The 10 years I spent as a boy here were the most important years in my formation.
“I started to do my eighth grade here, so I had all the friendships in Parma and the relationships I grew up with. I’ve never had the fear of coming back.
“When I came back to Parma, even as an opponent, I had the feeling of returning to a place where I felt the esteem and affection that people had for me even though I played for another team.”
Contracted to Parma until 2024, Buffon has made 26 Serie B appearances so far this season, for a total of 2271 minutes. In that time, he’s conceded 27 goals and kept eight clean sheets.
Buffon: "Avevo deciso di andare al Milan, ma scelsi Parma per Fulgoni. Mai avuto paura di tornare" https://t.co/hRPsMlfLwL pic.twitter.com/2yvT7Njk8w
— ParmaLive (@ParmaLiveTweet) May 4, 2022