List Of Clubs Gianluigi Buffon Has Played:
Gianluigi Buffon also known as Gigi Buffon is a former professional footballer who played as a goalkeeper. He is one of the greatest goalkeepers of all time and is also one of the only players who have made over 1100 career appearances. Gigi holds the record for the most number of appearances in Serie A as he has been playing for a very long time in Serie A. The amount of matches he has played in Serie A is equivalent to the career of some very established players nowadays.
Gigi Started his journey in 1995 with Parma and helped them win the Coppa Italia. He joined Juventus in 2001 at a world-record fee for any goalkeeper, 52 Million Euros. At that time Gigi won many titles for performing up to the mark. He is one of those people who never disappointed the fans and always delivered more than what was expected from him. He made the record for the most number of appearances in Serie A after breaking Paulo Maldini’s record of the most number of matches.
Gigi was born into a sport-loving family as his mother Maria was a three-time champion in the shot put and discus throw, his father practised shot put too followed by his uncle who also played in the Serie A1. In fact, his sisters were professional volleyball players. So, it was quite obvious that Gigi to become a dominator in football and take the legacy higher and higher. Let us take a look at his club Timeline.
Gianluigi Buffon Club Timeline:
1: Parma Calcio(1996-2000)
2: Juventus (2001-18)
3: PSG ( 2018-19)
1: Parma Calcio(1996-2000)
Parma is the club where the legend was in the making and he won so much and established himself as a demanded goalkeeper. In the 1996-97 season, Gigi was the first goalkeeper of the team and ended up being the runners-up in Serie A behind his future team Juventus but qualified for UEFA where he conceded 17 goals in 27 apps. His consistent and dedicated gameplay earned him his European debut at the age of young.
APPS – 265
GOALS CONCEDED – 261
CLEAN SHEETS – 98
In the 1997-98 season, Gigi ended up 5th in Serie A and got the ticket to the Coppa Italia semi-finals. This was also the UEFA Champions League debut season and Gigi won the match 3-1 against Widzew Lodz. His 4th season with the club was the European Trophy-winning season, UEFA Champion Gigi kept a clean sheet and helped in a 3-0 cup-winning victory. His outstanding performance in the season got him the Serie A Goalkeeper of the Year Award and the Bravo Award as well. The same year he was nominated for the Ballon d’Or too.
In the 2000-01 season, Gigi helped Parma reach the finals of the Coppa Italia Final, but unfortunately, they couldn’t make it. But his consistent performance again earned him a Serie A goalkeeper of the year award nomination.
In July 2001, he was sold to Juventus at a record fee of 51 million euros, which was the highest fee for any goalkeeper at that time.
2: Juventus (2001-18)
Buffon became the starting goalkeeper for Juventus, and he was the most expensive purchase of Juventus. His first season in Juventus was good and eventually, they were the runners-up for the season. In the UEFA Champions League Buffon played only a single match, unfortunately they were eliminated from the second round. He was also criticized by the media but he still got awarded as the Serie A goalkeeper of the year and was also a winning contender in the UEFA Team of the Year for the very first time in his career.
APPS- 685
GOALS CONCEDED- 539
CLEAN SHEETS- 322
As the 2011-12 season approached, Juventus was once again dominating in Serie A, and the craze of Buffon’s performance was peak as he saved a lot of crucial free kicks and penalties. He was greatly appreciated for his penalty save in a match against Roma in the Stadio Olimpico. He won his trophy in Juventus as a captain in 2012. In the same year, he was nominated for various prestigious honours completed his 100th European Appearance, and remained undefeated in the table.
In the 2014-15 season, Buffon played his 500th match for Juventus and was also nominated for the 2014 FIFPro World XI for a record 10th time. Buffon even after retirement is a player who has been nominated for an honour every single year. Indeed the legacy that this goalkeeper has is unmatched and will remain for the next few years for sure.
3: PSG ( 2018-19)
In 2018, Buffon ended his journey with Juventus on a very good note as his contract ended after 17 years. He joined PSG and made his debut in Trophee des Champions and kept a clean sheet throughout the match. It was a 4-0 win over Monaco. He made his Ligue 1 debut on 12 August keeping a clean sheet and winning 3-0 over Cean. In December he got injured in a match against Orleans and played in the second half, but eventually won that match. Unfortunately, PSG was eliminated after their 1-2 loss to Guingamp, and Buffon was benched in the match.
APPS – 25
GOALS CONCEDED – 25
CLEAN SHEETS – 9
On Feb 12, Buffon kept his 50th Premier League clean sheet in a 2-1 away win over Manchester United and became the third goalkeeper to reach this milestone. PSG finished the season as Ligue 1 Champs and Buffon with his 10th and became the Italian players with most of them.
In the final days of his career, Buffon moved to Parma completed his 28-year playing career, and retired emotionally from the place where it all started.
International Career of Gianluigi Buffon:
Buffon is undoubtedly the legend of the Italian football scenario. He is the player who represented Italy on all levels of his career. Buffon was awarded his first cap in 1997 and he was the youngest player in Italy to feature at the age of 19 after World War 2. Buffon’s unbeatable performance helped Italy qualify for the World Cup. He was made the first-choice goalkeeper in the 2000 Euro Qualifying Campaign.
Buffon played the first match for the complete 90-minute period and kept a clean sheet against Ecuador. During the 2006 World Cup Buffon performed exceptionally well and set up a World Cup record for only 2 goals conceded in 7 matches, his important save of a header by Zidane in the extra time and it was a draw in the final by 1-1. In the penalty shootout, Buffon proved himself and roared as he lifted the World Cup.
APPS- 176
GOALS CONCEDED – 146
CLEAN SHEETS – 77
In the 2010 World Cup, he was benched due to his injury in the first match and remained benched throughout the season. The Italian National team captain also emerged as the runners-up for EURO 2012.
What is special about Buffon’s playstyle?
Buffon was widely appreciated for his athleticism, quick dives, shoot-stopping skills, and most importantly power and class.
What was Buffon’s highest market value?
Buffon’s highest market value was 52 million euros and is still the highest amount of purchase for any goalkeeper.
How old is Buffon now?
Buffon is now 45 years old and is the head of the delegation of Italy’s national team.
What is Gigi Buffon’s net worth?
Gigi Buffon’s net worth is $20 Million.
