So long and farewell, Gigi Buffon

Gianluigi Buffon is leaving Juventus after 17 seemingly interminable years with the Bianconeri. I can think of no send-off more fitting for him than the collective sigh of relief from Fiorentina fans that his departure has inspired. Let’s look back over some of his finest moments for Juventus.

2 March 2008: Juventus 2-3 Fiorentina

18’ Massimo Gobbi (ass. Martin Jørgensen), 66’ Papa Waigo N’Diaye (ass. Giampaolo Pazzini), 90’+3 Pablo Daniel Osvaldo (ass. Papa Waigo N’Diaye)

20 October 2013

66’ Giuseppe Rossi (PK), 76’ Giuseppe Rossi (ass. Matías Fernández), 78’ Joaquín (ass. Borja Valero), 81’ Giuseppe Rossi (ass. Juan Cuadrado)

15 January 2017

37’ Nikola Kalinić (ass. Federico Bernardeschi), 54’ Milan Badelj (ass. Maximiliano Olivera)

All joking aside, though, Gigi’s been at the top of the game for longer than any footballer I can think of. He’s perhaps the greatest goalkeeper in the history of the sport and is one of the giants of calcio. He’s not perfect by any stretch, but he’s probably the only Juventino I’ve every actively liked (Andrea Pirlo aside). I’ll miss him, but I’m not sorry that he won’t be suiting up for the Juvenuts anymore. That makes things a lot easier for the good guys.