Gigi Buffon believes it was a bad defeat against Napoli at the weekend but remains open on his future and whether he’ll remain at the club past summer.
The veteran is celebrating his 42nd birthday today and spoke with Sky Sport Italia about what it means to still be playing at such an age.
How are you finding it at 42 years-old and being Juventus’ second goalkeeper?
“After a certain age and so many years, there’s no big party, but it is something inevitable and must be accepted with a smile on your face and with the satisfaction at 42 years old of being a footballer, playing well and being a happy person.”
I can’t help but start with the death of Kobe Bryant. I ask you what did you feel as a sports man?
“It is something almost unbelievable, because when these misfortunes and tragedies touch such important personalities and in the middle of their lives, it is something that makes you feel much more vulnerable……It seems that life and being well is, to some people, expected – you never imagine that a sacred individual, an incomparable sportsman like Kobe Bryant could have such an epilogue.”
What happened in Naples, why did Juventus lose?
“It was a bad defeat. Bad in the way because in my opinion we could and should have done a little better. But they are those delicate and negative periods that, in my opinion, are needed in one season. They are used to find a certain hunger, a certain humility. We faced a Napoli in great difficulty and in great emergency and it is true that the opportunity should make you raise your antennae and give incredible enthusiasm, but it is also true that if you did not win you always have the certainty and serenity to be in the lead. Therefore being an old-timer and long-standing sportsman, if it had been a decisive match for Juve, I am convinced that Juve would have won, which in some respects seems due, because we have the awareness of being strong and we have also shown it.”
Will it be a title fought to the end with Inter and Lazio?
“I think yes. Lazio are doing something exceptional. The fact that they don’t have midweek matches will affect them so much from here to the end. Inter, I’m not surprised by having a widespread knowledge of their manager, is a team that will be there until the end. Destiny is in our hands, as usual. Because you know that when you are the strongest, you know that fate depends on you and we have this awareness. But on this awareness and certainty, we must not abandon ourselves “.
How do you see your future?
“Let’s look at how I am in March April. I am ready and open to all ideas. The most important one is to always remain in balance and consistent with what I am doing and how it makes me feel. If what I am doing it is still of a high level, as I still believe it now, it is something that gives me satisfaction. The role I have in the team and the relationship I have with everyone is something that gratifies me a lot. Then with both Tek, with Filippi, with Nenci with Carlo, we have created a very strong and very united goalkeeper group again and this also helps and therefore we will wait a moment and see.
