Gigi Buffon Reveals Career Highlights and Memories at Book Launch

Turin, Italy — Legendary goalkeeper Gigi Buffon shared highlights from his illustrious career during a book launch event on May 15, 2025. The football star captivated fans and reporters alike with anecdotes about his life on and off the pitch, including back-handed compliments from coaches Marcello Lippi and Max Allegri.

Buffon’s new book explores the theme that goalkeeping mirrors life’s challenges, emphasizing resilience. “You fall, get back up, fall, get back up. There are always going to be falls, but the important thing is finding the motivation to get back up again,” he explained.

One of the iconic moments he recalled was Italy’s 2006 World Cup victory against France, a triumph that also involved a controversial red card shown to Zinedine Zidane. In a time before VAR, Buffon witnessed the foul firsthand and raced to inform the referee. “At that moment, I was the VAR,” he said, laughing. “My reaction made sure the referees realized what had transpired. They saw it back on the television monitors.”

Reflecting on setbacks, Buffon candidly discussed Italy’s early exit from the 2010 World Cup in South Africa under Lippi’s management. “I was injured and saw everyone distraught. The coach arrived, calm but detached, and said, ‘Lads, it’s not your fault, it’s my fault that like an idiot I brought you here.’ I will admit, I went and hid in the shower so I could laugh at that.”

Throughout his career, Buffon was known not only for his skill but also his vibrant personality. He recalled his debut for Parma at just 17 years old against Milan. “I was young and confident,” he said. “I tried to reassure my teammates to earn their trust, which drew the crowd’s passion into my performance.”

Buffon also highlighted memorable exchanges with legendary coaches. After an exciting match against Brescia, coach Carlo Mazzone jokingly compared Buffon’s resilience to Lazarus. “I saved absolutely everything that day,” he recounted. “Mazzone had the face of a man who wanted revenge.”

Allegri remarked that Buffon’s greatest strength was his “total state of recklessness.” Buffon reflected on this by saying, “Every now and then, I think about that and feel maybe he was right.”

His career began with a major triumph, winning the UEFA Cup with Parma in 1999, though he admitted some disappointment due to the venue’s poor attendance. “At that time, it was worth almost as much as the Champions League, but I didn’t like that it was played in Moscow, in this enormous stadium with very few people in there,” he lamented.