Gianluigi Buffon explains why he stayed with Juventus in the wake of the Calciopoli scandal – “to say to the fans: ‘in difficult moments, I’ll be there’.”
The Paris Saint-Germain goalkeeper had just won the World Cup when the Bianconeri were demoted to Serie B, and could have joined any club in the world.
Instead though he remained with the Old Lady, winning the Serie B title and returning to the top flight at the first time of asking.
Gianluigi Buffon explains why he stayed with Juventus in the wake of the Calciopoli scandal – “to say to the fans: ‘in difficult moments, I’ll be there’.”
The Paris Saint-Germain goalkeeper had just won the World Cup when the Bianconeri were demoted to Serie B, and could have joined any club in the world.
Instead though he remained with the Old Lady, winning the Serie B title and returning to the top flight at the first time of asking.
“In football, you can send a message to the outside with loyalty,” Buffon explained to L’Équipe’s Sport & Style Magazine.
“To say to the fans: ‘in difficult moments, I’ll be there’. We play for fame, money, trophies and a lot of things, but we also play to feel a sense of belonging.”
Buffon was well regarded in France even before joining PSG, having stopped the Italy fans from whistling ‘La Marseillaise’ before a game against Les Bleus.
“I never calculate my actions. Never. That’s why I’ve gotten myself into trouble sometimes. It’s a special moment when I feel something in my gut, my head and my heart.
“In Bari the Italian fans whistled ‘La Marseillaise’ and I felt I needed to do something. Apart from being a way to show respect to France and the French nation, it was also a way of defending Italy, of saying that my country wasn’t those people whistling.
“I know the history of my country, I know that there are values which are carried by the Italian national anthem, the memory of tragedies and people who died for Italy.
“I myself had a grandfather who died during World War I. I didn’t want anyone to think that Italy, whistling an anthem, disregarded that history, that memory.”
It was put to the goalkeeper that actions like that show he has taken on more of an elder statesman role in football.
“In the last 10 years, yes,” Buffon confirmed.
“I was captain of Italy, I was captain of Juve. I had a lot more responsibilities for the group. It’s a logical point of life, the normal evolution of a sporting career between 30 and 40.
“When I was young I was different, I did what I wanted. It was beautiful and easier, I didn’t really follow the rules.
“But if you behave the same way at 40 as you did at 20 you have a problem.”