After announcing his last game for Juventus, Gianluigi Buffon confirmed he has offers to continue his playing career, and will make a final decision next week.
Buffon’s professional career began with Parma in 1995, before joining Juventus in 2001 for €52 million – world record fee for a goalkeeper. He has since made over 650 appearances for the Bianconeri winning a record nine Scudetti, and five Coppa Italia trophies, as well as the World Cup with Italy in 2006.
“I would like to thank the president [Agnelli], Buffon began, “as apart from the institutional role he plays, he is something more than that, and over the years we have shared all the important decisions and we have shared a true friendship.
“Everything that has happened has been based on honesty and loyalty, and the fight against hypocrisy which has helped us move forward together.
“For me, it is a great honour to be here and I’m glad you are here. I want to thank all the press for being here.
“So I would like to summarise the day, a day full of great emotions and have come here with serenity and satisfaction.
“I have had an extraordinary career and was privileged to share it with so many wonderful people, and thanks to this love and support I have always tried to do my best.
“Saturday will be my last match with Juve and it will be the best way to conclude this great, amazing adventure, and to end it with two great trophies is fantastic.
“My fear was to get to the end of my adventure with Juve as a player who had a broken down engine, but this isn’t the case, and up until now I have been able to give top performances, good enough for Juventus.
“This is my greatest satisfaction and reward, this is why I am here to say goodbye, it isn’t normal for sportsmen to play at such a level for so long.
“I must say that Juve in 2001 took a talent and transformed it into a champion. Juve supported me and encouraged me to take a further step in mindset and mentality and for getting this far it Juventus deserve credit.
“I have embraced this philosophy, and I’m sure I will use it in the future, as that is all I know in order to reach great goals and great achievements. I have put my heart into everything I have done, regardless of fame and trophies. I will be grateful to all of you, forever.
“I will play a match on Saturday, and then with Andrea [Agnelli] I would like to rely on his support and suggestions. It was clear 15 days ago that I wanted to stop playing, but now new proposals have arrived both on and off the pitch.
“The next few days will be full of emotions, but after a few days of reflection, I will make my final decision, which will follow what my spirit and nature is screaming loud and clear.
“One more year? My final decision will be next week. I Had accepted that I would retire. For me what really matters, was not to spoil the life that I have spent with Juve, and I didn’t want to disappoint the people who have always had faith in me. I truly believe Juve will have to plan the future ahead, and I understand this need given I have been here for so long.
“I wanted to end in the best possible way. I cannot forget that they have a great goalkeeper like me, already here [Wojciech Szczesny].
“I can’t say this is the best Juve ever. This Juventus is the most solid and stubborn as they continue to have success.
“A turning point for me was 2010 – after back injury – where everybody had doubts over my career, but inside me I found the strength to say I want this great career to become really amazing, I want to suffer and improve and go ahead and face this type of challenge.
“And after eight years I’m still here with lots of trophies which I have won with the team. I’m a person that likes ambitions and dreams, but the essence of life lies in these things. The good thing is to fight hard for these challenges, it’s the essence of being a sportsmen.
“My main emotion is great satisfaction, I’m really satisfied and feel the club and people around me are really supporting me. I’m a little unaware of whats going on, I’m not frightened, maybe to a certain level, but a normal level when you make such a change. I live for these things, and I live to get out of my comport zone, and I want to see how I can cope with these challenges.
“As to my role outside the pitch, I can tell you I need a period of training to become aware of what it takes to work outside the pitch. We need to take into consideration the full range of options. As to my role in the Italian national team. I have said that if Buffon had beomce a problem three months ago, I can’t bear to think what would become three months later, so I want to keep a distance from that, and I think the Azzurri have a lot of good, young goalkeepers that need experience.
“My consideration will be focused on the perception of the specific project, the new input and new project and of course my fitness. There are many things to take into account. Im not a person that thinks it is right to end a career with a low level team, because I do like to perform at the top level, and I wouldn’t feel comfortable doing that.
“I don’t want to let anyone down, so the day I’m absolutely confident I can play another role I want to do it with the full knowledge and confidence in it.
“Juventus for me represent my family. But the fact is that I feel honoured and privileged to be considered a member of the family which Andrea has shown me. Juve is a club which plans for the future ahead, it’s future, present and past… is winning.
“If I am considered a person they can rely on as a coach, which is something which is fundamental, and Juve will be a priority, but it is something I have to fulfil, not something to take for granted.
“I have thought about going away from football, this was a very tiring and emotional season, I’m thinking about February and March, as these were complicated months, as considering not playing really pulls at your heartstrings. But from April, I was agin more lighthearted and calmed down, which was due to the components involved. If I had to retire and say goodbye to football I could take six months to think about the future and make the right decision. The emotions right now are overwhelming.
“I have received some offers, and some interesting offers, both on and off the pitch. But with a clear mind I will make the best decision for me. What makes sense is that one day if I decide to play football I want to fight for more remarkable achievements.
“The greatest legacy I have left to Szczesny, who is smart and clever and apart from his technical ability, he is also curious about the typical characteristics of the Juve dressing room. He has been around lots of influences that can help him.
“I just want to enjoy Saturday, and as I usually go through important events, and situations like this I just want to enjoy it, and I don’t want to ask anything more. I want to enjoy the love and affection and want to feel like I have been considered as a Juventino.
“I’m not the right person to talk about celebrations, as even as a child I didn’t even like birthday parties. The people should feel love, respect and esteem when they are alive. It will be an important moment to remember what we have achieved.
“Myself and Agnelli have spoken about all the different options, and as I said before, for a player to have a bond with Juve, and their need to plan is positive and it’s smart to understand when it is the right moment to leave. Juve have a goalkeeper who is 27 and has the same value as I have. I don’t want to go through that type of unease, so it is normal to reach such conclusions which is so nice, and from this point of view. I’m pleased to have reached this conclusion with the help of my teammates and the club.
“Juve’s cycle won’t end with me, as before me there were so many great goalkeepers and I don’t want to be arrogant to think that without me the cycle will end. We were all aware that sooner to later I would have to say goodbye, and they will win without me as well.
“Chiellini embodies what a captain is, and what a Juve captain is like. I have to thank a player like Giorgio who has made a remarkable contribution to my career.
“Im not going to be playing with Italy, the national team is another aspect my career and I have received all the love and celebrations with them.
“I haven’t spoken to Casillas, and I would like to point out that his situation was different as here people have great empathy and after Saturday I will make the decision which will be the best for everyone.”
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