Goalkeeper Profiles: Gianluigi Buffon

Buffon could probably claim to be the best goalkeeper in the world at the moment.  His performances for I bianconeri since his arrival in 2001 have been nothing short of amazing and there are few other keepers who can match his shot stopping ability and indeed his overall game.

The 31-year-old began his career with Parma.  Buffon was thrown in at the deep-end when he made his debut as a 17-year-old for Parma in 1995, his first game coming against Italian giants AC Milan. However, the young Buffon was not daunted by the experience, or if he was he didn’t show it, as the game ended 0-0.  Buffon spent four years with Parma and picked up a UEFA Cup winners medal along the way during his 168 appearances.  It is also important to note that the Parma team of 1995-2001 was a very differnt side to the Serie B club they are now.  They had players like Tomas Brolin, Hristo Stoichkov and Hernan Crespo pass through the club and regularly challenged for honours.  For Buffon to establish himself in the side as a youngster showed just how great a goalkeeper he could potentially become.

It wasn’t long before the young Buffon was involved in the national side set-up.  He made his debut as a 19-year-old, albeit as a substitute for the injured Gianluca Pagliuca, in a World Cup qualifier against Russia. It did take time though for Buffon to usurp Pagliuca as first choice keeper for Italy, he became the Azzurri’s first-choice custodian in 2000 at the age of 22.  However, it is worth considering that becoming Italy’s first choice at 22 is a great achievement and Pagliuca was a fantastic goalkeeper and also one of the best Italy have ever produced.

It was at current club Juve where Buffon really began to shine and where he gained the legendary status he still enjoys today.  His move from Parma in 2001 cost the Old Lady €52 million, a record fee paid for a goalkeeper and a move that immediately put the pressure on Buffon.  At the time many people were critical of Juve splashing out such a large fee for a keeper but it didn’t take long for Buffon to win the hearts of the Juventus faithful. In his first season at the Turin club he helped them lift the Serie A and firmly established himself as the best shot-stopper in Italy, if not the whole of Europe.

His performances for the Italian national side have been on occasion nothing short of unbelievable. The 2006 Wolrd Cup proved to be a particular highlight for Buffon and indeed the Azzurri as well as they lifted the World Cup in Germany.  In addition to the five clean sheets he kept at that particular tournament he also went an astonishing 453 minutes without conceding a goal!  The only goals he did concede were a penalty in the final against France (scored by former Juve team-mate Zinedine Zidane) and an own goal in the group stages against the United States.

Buffon is truly a great of the Italian game, he won the Serie A goalkeeper of the year title for six consecutive years from 1999-2006.  Juve spent the 2006/07 campaign in Serie B as a result of the Calciopoli scandal and despite reports he would leave the club he decided to stay and help the club win promotion back to Serie A.  In 2008 Buffon was once again awarded the goalkeeper of the year award for Serie A.

There are a couple of candidates who could rival Buffon’s position as the world’s top ranked goalkeper but in truth Buffon is simply the best.  His shot stopping ability is impressive enough on its own but the way he commands his box and positions his defence is also incredibly impressive.  Rumours continue to link Buffon with mega-money moves to the likes of Manchester City but if I were betting I would say Buffon will probably stay with Juve and complete a remarkable career there.

Gareth Freeman writes for Betfair, the world’s best betting exchange. Get the latest insider scoop on all your favorite leagues at Betfair today!