How Many More Years Will Gianluigi Buffon Spend at Juventus?

When Gigi Buffon arrived at Juventus in the summer of 2001, he already possessed an impressive resume. Indeed, by the age of 23 he had become a first-choice goalkeeper for Italy’s national team, played 220 games for Parma—winning both the Coppa Italia and UEFA Cup along the way—and been named the Serie A Goalkeeper of the Year.

His transfer to the Bianconeri remains a record fee for that position, but his standing has only improved over the last 15 years. Now Italy's most capped player of all time, Buffon has become the captain of both his club and his country, going on to lift no fewer than 12 trophies with Juve and of course the 2006 World Cup with the Azzurri.

Now 38, the pertinent question surrounding him is just how long can this continue?

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“Hopefully I'll never be a burden” he told Sky Sports back in 2010, but perhaps the most impressive thing about Buffon is that even now he has never remotely resembled such a thing. Indeed, this season has seen the Carrara native produce arguably one of his best campaigns ever with Juventus on the verge of writing yet more history.

The club have won five consecutive league titles just once before (1931-1935), but thanks to the performances of their goalkeeper, that achievement could be repeated this May. Saturday’s 1-0 win over Empoli not only helped the Bianconeri open up a six-point gap over closest rivals Napoli, it also saw Buffon record his 18th clean sheet of the campaign.

That tally includes a league-record 10 in a row, a spell which also saw him surpass the Serie A record for minutes without conceding a goal, an incredible mark—previously held by AC Milan’s Sebastiano Rossi—which had stood since 1994.

However, even after making key stops it came as no surprise that he would praise his team-mates after setting the new standard, using a post-match interview with Mediaset Premium last month to share the attention.

“The lion’s share of the credit should go to the guys in front of me right from our forwards who run the hard yards all the way back to our rear guard which features some of the world’s best defenders,” Buffon said (h/t Juventus.com).

Yet while WhoScored.com shows the Bianconeri have allowed opponents just 8.4 shots per game—another league-best mark—the skipper remains a vital figure in the side, transmitting a sense of calm authority to those ahead of him.

It is a testament to Buffon’s concentration and dedication that he has achieved such a feat, with statistics provided by Fox Sports highlighting the fact that he faces long periods without making a save as no fewer than 15 players have recorded more than his tally of 57 stops.

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In a recent interview with So Foot (h/t Football Italia), Buffon stated a desire “to play at this level until I’m 40 and then that’s enough.” That would allow him to play at the 2018 World Cup, but in domestic terms, it seems he has no plans to wear any colours other than those of Italian football’s Old Lady as he went on to say:

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Even if I don’t have the same passion, which normally decreases a little, I still enjoy the challenge. Even if I were to be offered twice my salary elsewhere, I’m staying at Juve for life. To be part of it makes me proud because they have a value. And certain values seem outdated nowadays.

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Therefore it seems logical that the club would agree to those wishes, allowing Buffon to play two more years between the posts for Juventus.