“Francoise Hollande thanked me for Gigi Buffon’s gesture,” revealed Italian Prime Minister Matteo Renzi after an Italy-France friendly.
At the Stadio San Nicola in Bari last Thursday, some fans began to jeer the French national anthem before kick-off.
Azzurri captain Buffon started to applaud instead and the vast majority of the crowd joined in to drown out the unsporting spectators.
The move from the goalkeeper was praised throughout the French media and seems to have gone all the way to the top.
“Francoise Hollande thanked me for Gigi Buffon’s gesture,” revealed Italian Prime Minister Matteo Renzi after an Italy-France friendly.
At the Stadio San Nicola in Bari last Thursday, some fans began to jeer the French national anthem before kick-off.
Azzurri captain Buffon started to applaud instead and the vast majority of the crowd joined in to drown out the unsporting spectators.
The move from the goalkeeper was praised throughout the French media and seems to have gone all the way to the top.
“During today’s meeting, Francois Hollande thanked me for Gigi Buffon’s gesture of interrupting the jeers during the Marseillaise, calling the entire stadium in Bari to a great round of applause,” confirmed Renzi at the G20 summit in China.
“Sports personalities can do so much in terms of sending positive messages and teachable moments. Captain Buffon proved that and I think all of Italy should be proud of him.
“We have values that are far greater than the incivility of those who only know how to jeer.”