Squad No: 1
Position: Goalkeeper
Age: 32
Birth Date: Jan 28, 1978
Birth Place: Carrara
Height: 6' 3'' (1.91m)
Weight: 205 lbs (93 kg)
Club: Juventus (Italy)
International Caps: 101
Club History
Juventus (ITA): 2001-
Parma (ITA): 1994-2001
from Wikipedia (full wiki)
Gianluigi "Gigi" Buffon is an Italian FIFA World Cup, UEFA Cup, and Serie A winning goalkeeper who plays for Serie A club Juventus and the Italian national team. He is considered by many fans and experts to be one of most dominant and successful goalkeepers in recent history. Buffon was declared by Pelé to be one of the 125 greatest living footballers in the world, and has also been named the Serie A Goalkeeper of the Year a record nine times.
Buffon was awarded his first cap for Italy on 29 October 1997, at the age of nineteen, as an injury replacement for Gianluca Pagliuca during a qualifer for 1998 FIFA World Cup play-off against Russia. He was called up for the 1998 World Cup finals, but did not play a single game as Pagliuca remained first choice. He was a member of the Italy squad at the 1996 Summer Olympics, the 2002 World Cup and Euro 2004. Buffon was also the first choice goalkeeper for Italy at the Euro 2000, but broke his hand in a friendly match against Norway just eight days before the tournament started, and had his starting place taken by Francesco Toldo.
During the 2006 World Cup finals, Buffon was in stunning form, as he conceded just two goals and kept five clean sheets, in addition to a 453-minute scoreless streak. The only goals he conceded were an own goal by teammate Cristian Zaccardo against the United States and a Zinedine Zidane penalty in the final against France, which ended 1–1 in extra-time and led to a penalty shootout in which neither Buffon nor Fabien Barthez saved a spot kick. The lone miss was David Trezeguet's effort which clanged off the bottom of the crossbar and failed to cross the line, which enabled Italy's Fabio Grosso to seal the victory for the Azzuri. Buffon received the Yashin Award for his accomplishments throughout the competition.
Buffon was named Italy captain for Euro 2008 after incumbent Fabio Cannavaro was ruled out of the tournament due to injury. In the second game of the group stage against Romania on 13 June, he saved an 81st minute penalty from Adrian Mutu as the match ended 1–1 to keep Italy's hopes alive. Buffon kept a clean sheet against France in the final group game. Italy were eliminated in the quarter-finals nine days later after a 4-2 penalty shootout loss to Spain in which Buffon saved one penalty.
from ESPN SoccerNet
Long regarded as the finest goalkeeper in the world, Buffon became the most expensive stopper in history when he joined Juventus for £32.6 million in 2001. Since that record breaking move the Italian has proved his considerable worth for both club and country, culminating in World Cup triumph.
After winning the 2001-02 and 2002-03 Scudetti in Turin, Buffon stayed loyal to Juventus after they were demoted to Serie B in the Italian match-fixing scandal and he was rewarded with an instant return to the top fight, which inspired the big keeper to sign an extension to his contract until 2012.
Buffon has won everything in the Italian game and was a major part of the Italy side that won the World Cup in 2006 - enjoying a 453-minute scoreless streak and conceding just two goals (one an own goal and the other a penalty) during the tournament. His personal accolades include the UEFA award for Most Valuable Player and Best Goalkeeper. He was also named by Pele as one of the top 125 players in the game.
Strengths: An agile, commanding shot-stopper who is hugely experienced at the highest level.
Weaknesses: Playing with dodgy knees and requires surgery.
Career high: Winning the World Cup in 2006 with Italy.
Career low: Being demoted to Serie B with Juventus following the calciopoli scandal.
Style: Accomplished keeper who makes the job look simple, rather than showing off for the cameras.
Quotes: "Gigi Buffon is in every way an original. His talent very quickly made him the number one with Italy, whilst his personality, which is never banal, is characterised by great bravery both in his statements to the press and as he comes out to smother the ball at the feet of onrushing players." Italian journalist Leo Turrini.
Trivia: Buffon hails from sporting stock as he is a nephew of keeping legend Lorenzo Buffon. His father Adriano was a weight lifter while his mother was a discus thrower.
Soccernet says: Often cited as the best goalkeeper around, Buffon has a history of rising to the big occasion and will be key for Italy.
from FIFA.com
Gianluigi Buffon is the latest in a long and distinguished line of gifted Italian goalkeepers, continuing the legacy bequeathed by the likes of Giampiero Combi, Aldo Olivieri and Dino Zoff. As the Azzurri know perhaps better than anyone, a great side needs a great keeper and in Buffon they have perhaps the perfect custodian. The outstanding No1 of his generation, he has been named Serie A's goalkeeper of the season seven times and four times world goalkeeper of the year.
With his tall, slender frame, Buffon was destined to be a goalkeeper. Capable of making the most difficult saves look easy, whether from distance or at point-blank range, there is no apparent weakness in his game and few strikers have ever managed to get the better of him on a regular basis. Perhaps one of his main qualities is an ability to put whatever errors he makes to the back of his mind and focus on the match again.
Hailing from a sporting family (his mother Maria Stella Masocco was an Italian discus champion), the young Buffon made his first league appearance for Parma at the age of 17 years and nine months on 19 November 1995, keeping a clean sheet in a goalless draw with AC Milan.
He would go to play 168 games in six seasons with I Gialloblu, winning an Italian Cup, Italian Super Cup and the UEFA Cup before moving to Juventus in 2001 as Edwin van der Sar's replacement. He brought his skills to bear in his very first season, making a vital contribution to Juve's title success by conceding only 23 goals in 34 games. He has remained loyal to the Turin giants ever since, becoming a cornerstone of the club.
Buffon's first international appearance came in a match against Russia in October 1997. The following year he travelled to the 1998 FIFA World Cup France™ as Italy's second-choice keeper. Forced to pull out of the squad for UEFA EURO 2000 with injury, he made his mark at Korea/Japan 2002 by saving a penalty in Italy's fateful golden-goal elimination to Korea Republic in the Round of 16. And at EURO 2004 in Portugal his luck was out once again when Italy were eliminated in the group phase.
Those disappointments were all forgotten at Germany 2006, however, when Buffon won his first major international trophy with the national team. The Juventus shotstopper had a vital part to play in Italy's penalty-shootout win in the Final against France, keeping out Zinedine Zidane's extra-time header with a superb leaping save and then winning a bout of spot-kick mind games with his Juve team-mate David Trezeguet, forcing the Frenchman to change his usual penalty-taking technique.
Never less than fully committed, Buffon has also suffered his fair share of injuries, not unlike his idol, the former Cameroon star Thomas N'Kono, after whom the Juventus and Italy legend named his son.
Gianluigi Buffon (World Soccer Stars / Estrellas Del Futbol Mundial)
AUTHENTIC OFFICIAL LICENSED FC Juventus Italian Soccer Scarf
PUMA v5.08 Buffon LS Goalkeeper Jersey (Green)
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