Italy and Juventus legend Gianluigi Buffon retires aged 45 after astonishing 28-year pro career spanning 1,151 games
FOOTBALL icon Gianluigi Buffon has retired.
The legendary goalkeeper took to Twitter to confirm that he is hanging up his gloves.
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Following reports yesterday that Buffon was set to call time on his career, he has now confirmed this with a minute-long video on his social media.
And the move brings an end to his remarkable 28-year career that saw him win 29 trophies.
In the post the 45-year-old simply said: “That’s all folks! You gave me everything. I gave you everything. We did it together.”
The Italian’s career has seen him play a staggering 1,151 pro games at club and international level.
Born in the Tuscany region of Italy, Buffon started out his career with Parma, winning the Uefa Cup and Coppa Italia in 1999.
He spent six years with the outfit before sealing a then world record transfer for a goalkeeper to Juventus.
While with the Old Lady Buffon went on to win ten Serie A titles as well as five Coppa Italia and six Supercoppa Italiana titles.
His exploits at club level were also present in the national team, with Buffon playing a crucial role as Italy won the 2006 World Cup.
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Consequently, Buffon went on to come second in the Ballon d’Or that year, as well as being named in the Team of the Tournament.
After a glittering 17-year spell with Juventus, Buffon joined Paris Saint-Germain in 2018.
However, just one season later he re-joined the Italians, where he would go on to become the record holder for most Serie A appearances at the club.
His second spell in Turin lasted just two years, with Buffon sealing a return to Parma in 2021.
During a match in Serie B with Parma in 2022, Buffon became the first-ever goalkeeper to reach 500 clean sheets in association football.
Reacting to the news of his retirement, former team-mate Miralem Pjanic wrote: “Gigi you are unique ! Thanks for everything my friend
Legenda sei .”
Juventus paid tribute to their club legend with an touching open letter which read: “Dear Gigi, It is hard to find the right words on a day like today.
“It is incredibly difficult to talk about football on a day when the beautiful game bids farewell to its number 1 par excellence.
“We have already said our goodbyes and we have already celebrated the historic achievements that will never be replicated, but on each occasion we knew that you would keep beating Father Time.
“This time, we know that you have decided to bring this chapter to a definitive end and hang up your gloves off the back of an extraordinary career.”
Buffon’s longevity is underpinned by a stunning statistic involving himself and England legends Stanley Matthews and Peter Shilton.
The stunning stat reveals that every season from 1932 to 2023 has seen one of Matthews, Shilton and Buffon play at least one first-team match.
An unnamed club in Saudi Arabia reportedly offered the veteran a £25million-a-year deal, but they were unable to convince him to keep playing.
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