- Buffon retires at 45
- Racked up over 1000 appearances
- Won 10 Serie A titles
WHAT HAPPENED? Following two seasons playing between the sticks for Parma, the hometown club where his career initially started in 1995-96, Buffon has finally drawn the curtain on an incredible career that has spanned almost three decades. He's won numerous trophies including the World Cup, ten Serie A titles and a Ligue 1 crown, as well as receiving various individual accolades - most notably landing an incredible 13 Serie A Goalkeeper of the Year awards.
WHAT THEY SAID: Buffon wrote in a post on social media: "That's all folks! You gave me everything. I gave you everything. We did it together."
THE BIGGER PICTURE: Considered to be one of the greatest goalkeepers of all time, Gianluigi Buffon first broke through the Parma youth setup before making his name in Serie A in the late 1990s. He then completed a huge €52 million switch to Italian giants Juventus in 2001, sparking a 17-year spell with The Old Lady in which Buffon won ten Serie A titles, five Coppa Italias, and six Supercoppa Italias, as well as reaching three Champions League finals with the club. He played in well over 1000 matches at club level and also helped lead Italy to World Cup glory in 2006 before eventually earning a grand total of 176 caps for his country. Buffon said goodbye to his beloved Juve before completing short stints at Paris Saint-Germain and Parma, but has now decided to hang up his gloves at the ripe old age of 45.
IN THREE PHOTOS:
WHAT NEXT FOR BUFFON? It's unclear exactly whether the Italy legend will want to pursue a career in coaching or punditry, or whether he'll simply want a quiet retirement after playing at the highest level for far longer than most. For now, he can look back at a glittering career in which he built up a legacy as one of the best keepers the world has ever seen.