Gigi Buffon Continues Juventus' Rich Tradition of Iconic Goalkeepers

Given the long and storied past of Juventus, it is little surprise that the club’s history is littered with the names of some true footballing greats, players who have helped La Vecchia Signora achieve unrivalled success in Italian football.

In this previous post, those who had donned the famous Bianconeri No. 10 were discussed; men like Michel Platini, Omar Sivori and Alessandro Del Piero making it one of the most iconic shirts in the game.

Yet perhaps another shirt at Juventus has a legacy to rival even that created by a plethora of Ballon d’Or winners, one which has consistently been worn by the best goalkeepers in history.

From the club’s earliest great accomplishments until the present day, the Old Lady has been home to the finest glovesmen in the world. Gigi Buffon might well be the greatest of all time, but he is simply following in the footsteps of some wonderful shot-stoppers who have delivered a trophy room full of silverware.

Arguably the history of Juve’s No. 1 being vital began in the 1930, with Gianpiero Combi both playing in goal and captaining the team just as Buffon does today. He was a central figure in the first team to win five consecutive Serie A titles, a record which has yet to be broken but one the current Juve side has now equalled.

Born in Turin in 1902, he joined the Juventus youth ranks and eventually progressed to the first team, making his initial bow in a February 1922 match against AC Milan at the age of just 21. Despite standing a mere 1.71 metres (5'7") tall, he was strong enough to survive the kind of challenges that would be beyond more modern 'keepers.

After winning the 1926 Scudetto, that five-in-a-row would begin in 1931, the team conceding just 149 goals across those five championship seasons—compared to the 429 they would score themselves—thanks largely to Combi’s brilliance.

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But he did not feature in the last of those seasons, retiring after playing in the 1934 FIFA World Cup final which Italy won. Juventus would then struggle for a top-class goalkeeper for some time, with Dino Zoff’s arrival in 1972 eventually ushering in a new era of dominance for the Bianconeri.

Zoff had won the UEFA European Championship with Italy four years earlier, and much more silverware was to follow. A mere 12 months after arriving in Turin, he was voted second for the Ballon d’Or despite losing the European Cup final, his performances helping the Old Lady to a domestic double.

His 330 consecutive Serie A appearances with Juventus remains a club record, while only six players have represented the Old Lady on more occasions. But, as his career was drawing to a close, it was then that he shone brightest, captaining Italy to their 1982 World Cup win just as Combi had done before him.

His direct replacement at Juventus was Stefano Tacconi, a player who had none of the calm stoicism of his predecessor. The Perugia native was loud, brash and truly eccentric, qualities many argue are essential in a goalkeeper, and in the 1980s few possessed them in abundance like him.

Hyper-athletic and vastly underrated, Tacconi has received little recognition for a stellar playing career in which he won every trophy available. In nine years with the club he claimed two Serie A titles, the European Cup (1985), Cup Winners’ Cup (1984), UEFA Cup (1990), European Super Cup (1984) and Intercontinental Cup (1985).

Tacconi was also a member of the Italy squad that finished third in the 1990 FIFA World Cup, but it is the manner in which he kept goal that should always be remembered, the video above offering just a glimpse of his incredible ability.

Before he moved on, the Old Lady had already found a man to fill his shoes. Just as Tacconi replaced Zoff, he, too, would find a younger man waiting to take over, and Angelo Peruzzi was equally confident he could do so.

Peruzzi's career to that point had been largely unremarkable, stints at AS Roma and Hellas Verona passing without any real merit, but he would soon make the Juventus No. 1 shirt his own.

Voted Serie A Goalkeeper of the Year in 1997 and 1998, Peruzzi won three Serie A titles, the Coppa Italia, two Supercoppa Italiana titles, the UEFA Cup, the UEFA Super Cup and the Intercontinental Cup, but he will always be remembered for his brilliance in the Champions League.

Marcello Lippi’s side had been in rare form leading up to the 1996 final, and when Fabrizio Ravanelli gave Juve the lead in just the 12th minute, it seemed they would beat Ajax handily.

But Jari Litmanen equalised just before half-time, the game eventually going to a penalty shootout. Peruzzi would save a tame first Ajax penalty from future team-mate Edgar Davids, then followed that up by denying Sonny Silooy’s spot-kick before Vladimir Jugovic drilled the ball low into the corner. Juventus were champions of Europe again at last.

Peruzzi would move on in 1999, but his replacement would not do so well. Edwin van der Sar is fondly remembered almost universally, but his time in Turin was hugely disappointing and lasted just two seasons.

He made some dreadful errors, including the one shown above against Marcelo Salas and Lazio that effectively ended his career with the Bianconeri. Van der Sar was sold to Fulham in 2001, paving the way for Gigi Buffon to join Juventus that same summer.

The club has not looked back since. The Italy captain has played almost 600 games for the Old Lady, coming to embody everything that the club represents, winning countless titles and setting a raft of records along the way.

Yet despite having clinched that record-equalling fifth title in a row and dominating the Calcio landscape, the 38-year-old remains thirsty for more, as he explained to reporters in Villar Perosa before the season began.

“We’ve done so much as a team but there is still much more to achieve,” he said per Juve’s official website. “This club teaches you to never rest on your laurels. There are plenty of lessons to be learned from last season so we can avoid making the same mistakes again.”

His leadership is vital to that cause, never allowing complacency to creep into his team and always ready with an encouraging word. However, what stands out most of all is that—in his 15th year at the club—he continues to be among the best in his position, always delivering a top save whenever called upon.

Having passed through Combi, Zoff, Tacconi and Peruzzi, the legacy of the Juventus No. 1 shirt now flows directly through Buffon. Peerless and fearless, he carries their traditions and greatness on his back with incredible grace and humility, adding to his own legend every time he steps on the field.