Germany's Manuel Neuer says he 'never wrote off Italy', and admires Gianluigi Buffon.
The Mannschaft's goalkeeper saw the Azzurri's game against Belgium, but he still hasn't seen the post-match video that has been going viral.
In the clip, Buffon is seen leaping to hang on to the crossbar as he celebrates, only to slip off it and crash to the ground.
Germany's Manuel Neuer says he 'never wrote off Italy', and admires Gianluigi Buffon.
The Mannschaft's goalkeeper saw the Azzurri's game against Belgium, but he still hasn't seen the post-match video that has been going viral.
In the clip, Buffon is seen leaping to hang on to the crossbar as he celebrates, only to slip off it and crash to the ground.
“I don't know if at his age I'll be able to pull off something like that,” he laughed, in an interview with La Gazzetta dello Sport. “I missed that bit, but they told me it was funny.
“Gigi knows what he can afford to do with his body, and when he should be careful. I do other thins, like riding a mountain bike or a scooter, but always with great care. You can't give up on everything.
“Yes, I still have a special insurance, not just for my hands but for my whole body. Though of course the hands are special.
“Buffon is still top-level. He has such presence on the pitch and he drives the team forward, you can tell that everyone listened to him. He's a guide for the youngsters.”
Neuer was asked whether Germany are now worried about facing Italy from Group E, and not just Belgium.
“I never wrote off the Azzurri from my predictions, even after we beat them in Munich [4-1]. I heard that a lot of people were critical, but they are a tournament team and we all saw how compact they were tactically and how well they defend. Even after the 1-0, they were always dangerous.
“I'm not surprised by their victory. I like how they arrange the defence, with Juve's three and [Daniele] De Rossi in front of them, and the way they fall back with five players. I also appreciate the way they all move together, their team movements are well interpreted.”
The 30-year-old's last question on Italy was whether he knew all of the players.
“I recognised them when I saw their faces, though naming them all would be difficult. Many of them have been in the national team for years.
“Of course I know Emanuele Giaccherini. I saw him in Munich too. But you don't forget about him, he's very showy during a game.
“I think on Monday he must have really bust a lung for how much he ran.
“Italy and Germany could meet in the quarter-final, but thank God it's not going to be a semi-final. Anyway, let's think about winning the group first. Now we've got Poland and it's going to be decisive.”
Finally, the goalkeeper was asked whether he'd spoken with his next Coach Carlo Ancelotti, and whether he intended to play until he was 50.
"I still haven't read Ancelotti's book. They say he's knowledgeable, calm, and that he knows how to handle class players. I look forward to meeting him and beginning to work with him after the Euros.
"As for playing until 50, Gigi has to do that first. Then he can tell me how it's done, I'll see what it did to him and I'll have a thought."