“I believe in doing the right things; that is my character and personality.”
― Gianluigi Buffon
“In football, you win as a group, you lose as a group; you divide the credit and the blame.”
― Gianluigi Buffon
“The day I quit, I want people to be sad about it.”
― Gianluigi Buffon
“In the end, you need to be a little masochistic to be a goalkeeper. A masochist and egocentric as well.”
― Gianluigi Buffon
“When you have the chance to play a Champions League final, you have to win it.”
― Gianluigi Buffon
“I do not need to hear how I am judged by others. I know by myself if I can be satisfied or not with my work.”
― Gianluigi Buffon
“The role of a goalkeeper is difficult to judge, above all if you haven’t been a goalkeeper. It’s like me giving an opinion on someone’s job without having had any experience in their sector. You start to realise how many stupid things are said and written about goalkeepers.”
― Gianluigi Buffon
“Often, there are fallacies when a journalist or a fan and sometimes even a coach who has never been a goalkeeper sees a cross in the six-yard box and says he should come out.”
― Gianluigi Buffon
“Whenever I lose, I focus on the ability of my opponent and on the mistakes I made.”
― Gianluigi Buffon
“People don’t mind you feeling low if you are still performing. But if you’ve shared too much, and suddenly your performance dips, that’s when they start doubting you.”
― Gianluigi Buffon
“Not looking for excuses is the right thing to do. I have made a lot of mistakes, and I still make mistakes, but I am not ashamed to look for the reasons behind those mistakes.”
― Gianluigi Buffon
“To the fans, it does not matter a damn how you are. You are seen as the footballer, the idol, so no one thinks to stop and ask you, ‘Hey, how are you?’”
― Gianluigi Buffon
“The pitch is the most beautiful part of the game; it gives you emotions which bring meaning to life.”
― Gianluigi Buffon
“When you’re on the field, you’ve got to deliver. It doesn’t matter what you potentially could deliver or what you might be able to deliver in future – you’ve got to deliver it there and then.”
― Gianluigi Buffon
“Everyone gets scared from time to time. It’s totally normal, and anyone who says otherwise is a liar.”
― Gianluigi Buffon
“I was 12 when I turned my back on my goal. And I will keep doing it as long as my legs, my head, and my heart will allow.”
― Gianluigi Buffon
“In this job, you accept criticism and give answers on the field.”
― Gianluigi Buffon
“I have not lost an awful lot in my life, but the defeats have taught me more than the victories.”
― Gianluigi Buffon
“In my opinion, there are fewer and fewer great goalkeepers because, with respect to when I started, they have to do so much more compared with in the past.”
― Gianluigi Buffon
“I went through a lot of changes and a period of depression. I’d reached an age when I had to grow up and start taking life a bit more seriously, which had a huge impact on me. I suffered terrible anxiety, and sometimes, in the middle of a game, my legs would start shaking uncontrollably. It was pretty scary.”
― Gianluigi Buffon
“I do not take to the field to defend myself from certain criticisms. If I do, in this kind of career, it is because I’m very self-critical.”
― Gianluigi Buffon
“Every kid thinks about scoring rather than not conceding.”
― Gianluigi Buffon
“Don’t be a keeper.”
― Gianluigi Buffon
“I cannot appreciate anybody who creates controversy over things which do not exist. I can tolerate controversy over things which truly happened, but not over inexistent things.”
― Gianluigi Buffon
“I can no longer understand what the parameters are for valuing a player. It’s all too random and in the hands of whoever has more money.”
― Gianluigi Buffon
“When you go somewhere and think it will be your last time there, you always appreciate the beauty of it even more and want to crystallise emotions that you will keep with you forever.”
― Gianluigi Buffon
“Messi is an alien that dedicates himself to playing with humans.”
― Gianluigi Buffon
“Up to 30 years old, I was carried by natural talent, combined with a good level of professionalism. But since turning 30, I’ve gained a desire to sweat in the real sense of the word, to understand where I need to improve. Competitiveness, now, is essential.”
― Gianluigi Buffon
“I have not lost an awful lot in my life, but the defeats have taught me more than the victories. Whenever I lose, I focus on the ability of my opponent and on the mistakes I made.”
― Gianluigi Buffon
“I took what I’ve been given, and I got where I did on the basis of something that is often undervalued – merit.”
― Gianluigi Buffon
“Even if I were offered twice my salary elsewhere, I would stay at Juve. Doing so would make me proud, as it is a worthy thing to do.”
― Gianluigi Buffon
“I have a wealth of experience, but I do not want to coach. I rather like the role of recruiter.”
― Gianluigi Buffon
“If I do something, I do it with the idea to get to the top – without that, I would stop living.”
― Gianluigi Buffon
“I thought psychologists were people who rob, figuratively of course, money from the insecure. But they are not. They are people who are there to help you, and if you find a good psychologist, they will allow you to talk about everything and open up, without the slightest of fears, and that is no easy thing.”
― Gianluigi Buffon
“I’ve made a lot of mistakes in my life, but I think that’s normal for someone who wants to grow and develop. You will have to overcome plenty of obstacles, and it is normal that you should stumble sometimes.”
― Gianluigi Buffon
“Maybe I’m the only footballer who isn’t interested in cars. My Lancia Y gets me around.”
― Gianluigi Buffon
“It’s fine to admit being nervous – after the event. But if you tell people you’re uptight before the game, it can be like, ‘That guy’s got problems. We can’t trust him.’”
― Gianluigi Buffon
“If I can push myself up to the 2018 World Cup, then I’ll go on. After that, I’ll close the door and stop playing football.”
― Gianluigi Buffon
“I followed tennis a little. I liked Lendl, Edberg, and Rafter.”
― Gianluigi Buffon
“There is certainly a future for Italian football, as we have pride, ability, determination, and after bad tumbles, we always find a way to get back on our feet.”
― Gianluigi Buffon
“The important thing is to be ready when the team needs me. As long as I can do that, I consider myself satisfied and happy.”
― Gianluigi Buffon
“I really hate strikers.”
― Gianluigi Buffon
“I don’t want to disrespect anyone, but it’s clear that any team which has the chance to play with Messi, Suarez, and Neymar has devastating attacking power, which any coach would love at his disposal.”
― Gianluigi Buffon
“No record belongs to just one person, and there are no number ones outside of a group.”
― Gianluigi Buffon
“I don’t give advice, because I always made my own mistakes and would only be adding further chaos to the situation.”
― Gianluigi Buffon
“More than anything else, I’m a very calm person in the sense that I don’t worry about the future and what my life could be. I just have to face it, and I’ll face it with enthusiasm as well as the desire and curiosity to test myself.”
― Gianluigi Buffon
“Even though the Premier League is a special league, I have always wanted to stay loyal to Juventus.”
― Gianluigi Buffon
“How do I imagine my last-ever game? Maybe I’ll go out like Zidane, headbutting someone on the pitch!”
― Gianluigi Buffon
“Pogba is one of those players who leaves you speechless.”
― Gianluigi Buffon
“I started to play, like all kids do, not as a goalkeeper. I liked scoring goals; in the end, it’s all about scoring goals.”
― Gianluigi Buffon
“My dad suggested I change and try to play in goal. I always liked being at the heart of the action, trying to experience different situations and different challenges. One year, I decided to try playing in goal – after that, I was going to go back to playing outfield.”
― Gianluigi Buffon
“My first memory of the national team is the 1982 World Cup. I remember those days at our home or at my uncle’s house, with all the family and those long dinners watching the matches. But I also remember that, during the games, I went outside or onto the balcony to play.”
― Gianluigi Buffon
“Who knows? I might retire at the age of 65.”
― Gianluigi Buffon
“Would I still be playing at the top level at the age of 37 years if I had any weaknesses?”
― Gianluigi Buffon
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