The giant goalkeeper Gianluigi Buffon returned to Juventus in 2019, and his contract with the club will end next June.
Gianluigi Buffon, the goalkeeper for Italian club Juventus, revealed his retirement date and final departure from football in statements to The Guardian: "Look, in my head, there is really a sign, a definitive stop at the latest in June 2023. That is truly the maximum, but I could also stop playing in four months."
The Italian legend Buffon added: "They say that when you reach my age, deterioration happens at once, from one moment to the next." He continued: "I don't believe that; I feel what I feel, and the sensations I have inside do not make me think there will be some sudden collapse."
The Italian giant Buffon went on: "I am also a person who strongly believes in destiny and fate. When Juventus offered me the chance to return, you never know, and perhaps there is a reason for it, something I intended to return for, a great final story to write. So I must be honest, there is also part of this related to that part of the ego we all have."
Buffon, who was crowned World Cup champion with Italy in 2006, added: "In front of others, Pirlo will always be the master; this is a matter of roles, a matter of respect, a matter of intelligence."
Buffon continued: "To be honest, the first month of lockdown was really beautiful at first; the pandemic allowed me to get the time I could dedicate to myself, and this is something that has not happened to me all my life."
Finally, the legendary goalkeeper Buffon stated: "I had to stay with my wife and kids all day, to be able to dedicate myself to my hobbies, my reading, and my things. It was a lovely time I never imagined at all, and I fully benefited from it and loved it. Then, of course, as time passes, it becomes heavy; you think more and more about what others are going through."
