Gianluigi Buffon, legendary former goalkeeper for Juventus and the Italian national team and now head of delegation for the Azzurri, spoke candidly at the Turin International Book Fair while presenting his book, “Falling, Getting Up, Falling, Getting Up.” Buffon reflected on his career, sharing stories, lessons, and emotions that have defined his journey in football.
A Life of Ups and Downs
Introducing his book (as quoted by TMW), Buffon explained, “It’s a metaphor that represented me for my role and then represents everyone throughout life. If you decide to be a protagonist, there are various falls along the way, but it’s important to find the reason to get back up.”
Cherished Teams and Relationships
Buffon looked back on his time with different clubs: “In my life, all experiences have been important and beautiful. Three years at Parma, nineteen at Juve, one year in Paris, but in every context, I created bonds and relationships, the pleasure of being together. I stayed so long in places because I built good relationships.”
Adventures and Idols
Recalling a unique experience in Africa, he said, “Only someone like me, who at that age was a daredevil, could give himself that experience. I met N’Kono at Italy-Cameroon ’98, he was my idol and invited me to his farewell match. I went, and I was the only European, I risked playing without shoes.”
Lippi and the World Cup
Buffon shared a memorable story from the 2010 World Cup: “I entered the locker room in South Africa, I was injured, everyone had their heads in their hands, desperate. The coach came in… he was calm and detached: ‘Guys, it’s not your fault, it’s my fault because I’m an idiot for bringing you.’ I went to the shower to laugh.”
First Official Match
Describing his debut, Buffon admitted, “I was insolent, a rascal, irreverent, very sure of myself and also cunning. I pretended to sleep on the bus because I understood that my teammates, who were adults and champions, needed me to give them confidence. The only way was to show it… it was a way to reassure them, not me.”
Against Brescia and Mazzone
Buffon fondly recalled a match against Brescia: “I saved every shot, the game ended, and I entered the locker room. Mazzone was waiting for me with a vengeful look. As soon as I passed: ‘Oh Buffon, what did you do today? Today you looked like Lazarus because you kept getting back up.'”
The Power of the Crowd
He described the energy of the final minutes of a match: “Especially in the final minutes, the energy from the spectators captures you as a player. You can feel the suspense, the roar for a save or the joy for a goal. How the mood of so many people changes, one way or another, and that’s a superpower I’ve realized I have.”
Gratitude for the Fans
Buffon expressed his gratitude: “The affection from people is something I always recognize, often even outside Italy. Usually, this surprises me, because in the end, I don’t know what I’ve done that’s so special. I just did my job, and I knew how to do only that. I also had fun, they paid me well, and it gave me fame. Allegri used to tell me: ‘You, gigione, are wonderful because you live in a total state of recklessness, but that’s your strength.’ Sometimes I think about it, and maybe it’s true.”
On Cassano
Addressing rumours of a dispute with Antonio Cassano, Buffon clarified: “Fight? False! We were like twins. These things bother me a bit, I’ve always valued relationships and friendship. The fact that someone wanted to speculate on this made me uncomfortable.”
2006 World Cup Final
Buffon humorously recounted his role in the 2006 World Cup final: “At that moment, I was the VAR (laughs). My reaction and my run towards the incriminated area made the referees realize something had happened. They’ll never say it, but the action was reviewed on TV by them. Only I had seen it.”
UEFA Cup Final with Parma
Reflecting on the UEFA Cup final with Parma, he said, “At that time, it was worth as much as the Champions League, if not more. But I didn’t like it because it was played in Moscow in a huge stadium with few people.”
Referees and Moreno
Buffon joked about referees: “I loved almost all of them (laughs). Moreno? We understood that the media had influenced public sentiment, everyone saw-rightly so-in Moreno the real enemy who made us go out. Probably, it was more our fault, but he refereed in an ignoble way. We left the airport almost to applause.”
The Trash Can Interview
Buffon reflected on his infamous post-match comments after the Champions League quarter-final against Real Madrid and referee Michael Oliver: “One of the highest points of my career (laughs). Now that some years have passed, I am ashamed of the interview I gave, of what I said. I was a certain age, I represented someone, I was the captain. My fortunes or misfortunes depended only on me. But I must also say that if I could go back, I would say the same things again. At that moment, to cool off that bitterness, it wasn’t just a lost game, it was something special, an epic comeback, in an epic stadium, with a group that had shown incredible character and unity, madmen and dreamers. The day before the match, we talked to each other, and that was the greatest disappointment. To this day, I still don’t know why I was sent off, so the anger in the interviews was also for that. It was the most beautiful match I have ever been involved in.”
Champions League Finals
On his Champions League experiences, Buffon said, “I have a role, at this moment, that is federal and impartial. But the truth is this: matches and finals should be won by the teams that truly deserve it. Whoever deserves it between PSG and Inter will take it. I lost three finals, and in none of them did we deserve to win. Against Real Madrid, we deserved to lose, against Barcelona we reacted for a moment… The Champions League is a disappointment for Juve fans, but for me, it doesn’t change anything, it means that at that moment, the others were better.”
On Regret and Responsibility
Buffon’s reflections, especially on his outburst against referee Oliver, were honest and introspective: “With referee Oliver, I was wrong, but I would do it again.” His words encapsulate the passion, leadership, and authenticity that have marked his extraordinary career.
