Gianluigi Buffon: Celebrating Gigi's 100th Cap for Italy

On October 14th 2009, Gianluigi Buffon won his 100th cap for La Nazionale. The Italy No.1 – also fondly dubbed ‘Superman’ by the supporters due to his Superman t-shirts and sometimes gravity-defying saves – has guarded the posts for well over a decade and along the way has grown into one of the greatest – if not the greatest – goalkeepers the world has ever seen.

On an October night some 12 years ago, a 19-year old Buffon made his Azzurri debut as he came on for the injured Gianluca Pagliuca. It wasn’t the easiest of games considering the freezing Moscow night as Italy played Russia in the play-off to the 1998 World Cup in France.

“I must say I would’ve aspired for an easier debut! We were in a World Cup play-off, plus the weather did not help us. I had said it was the one game I wouldn’t want to play in and I had to!”

It might come as a surprise, but the shotstopper actually started out as a midfielder. "I enjoyed it. I scored lots of goals, and when a kid gets lots of goals it's the nicest thing in the world. Then you grow up, become stupid and become a goalkeeper, right?"

While the rest of Italy watched in dismay as La Nazionale lost to Argentina in the semi-finals in the 1990 World Cup, a 12-year old Buffon had already seen his personal hero being knocked out in the quarter finals. Cameroon goalkeeper Thomas N’Kono had won over little Gigi’s heart.

“I was a big fan of Cameroon. N'Kono was their symbolic, totemic player. I experienced this lightning strike, if you like. I decided to give it at least a year at being a goalkeeper. I went in goal when playing with friends, and did quite well. After that, I always stayed in goal."

A year later Ermes Fulgoni snatched the young talent right in front of AC Milan and made sure he ended up at Parma. Two years later, the veteran goalkeeper trainer went on to tell the then 15-year old gangly teenager that he would play for the Azzurri before the age of 20.

Having no issues with confidence the youngster simply replied by; "What am I supposed to do until then?"

Buffon may be eccentric at times but that quality combined with his charisma and outspokenness only tends to make people even fonder of him.

It’s not unusual to see the goalkeeper pacing impatiently around the half line and making conversation with other players while on the pitch. Buffon is simply one of those few players who are appreciated by all supporters, no matter where their club loyalties lie.

In 2001 Juventus paid a record fee of £34 millions to secure the services of Buffon – making him the most expensive goalkeeper in history.

Dino Zoff, Stefano Tacconioch Angelo Peruzzi were some of his predecessors at his new club, but that was never going to be an issue. Neither would the record breaking fee.

"To tell you the truth, it's never bothered me. I'm proud of it. If they hadn't taken me, another would have paid the same figure."

The undisputed number one has since then paid and re-paid the fee many times over with his brilliant rise to the top. Buffon has been extremely consistent and despite his stature, his quick reflexes, agility and vision is second to none.

On top of that the gangly keeper always adds another level of calm and confidence to the team with his sheer presence on the pitch.

Some of Gigi’s best performances came during the 2002/2003 Champions League. Despite saving no less than two penalties in the shoot-out to Milan, Juventus walked away as runners-up.

However, the absolute peak of his career came when as Italy won the 2006 World Cup with the goalkeeper as one of the protagonist considering that he only conceded a single goal through the entire course of the tournament – an own goal at that.  

As the nation celebrated the World Cup triumph, the players at Juventus were contemplating what to do next as the Calciopoli scandal was taking its course.

As several of the players jumped ship, Buffon along with Alessandro Del Piero, Pavel Nedved, Mauro Camoranesi and David Trezeguet decided to remain behind – making them undisputed heroes in the eyes of the Bianconeri faithful along the way.

“Serie B is a championship that I have never won. I always strive towards happiness. I chose to stay with Juve in Serie B since I knew that it would make me happy to help the club in its time of difficulty.”

Ironically, the best goalkeeper in the world was suddenly playing in Italy’s second tier.

Since then Juventus have once again re-established themselves in the top with Buffon once again one of their key protagonists. However, they have yet to win a single title after their promotion back to Serie A.

Buffon has won almost everything and although he came tantalizingly close to winning it, there is still one important title evades him – the Champions League.

After spending much of the 2008/2009 season struggling with injuries, pundits were debating whether or not Buffon would be able to regain his position as the number one goalkeeper in the world.

Gigi beat the odds and is once more back to his legendary best. The shotstopper has been the decisive factor in many games this season and have saved the team single-handedly – sometimes literally – with some simply stunning saves while being one of his side’s most consistent players.

If his form for Juventus has been stunning thus far, it’s going to take a whole other level to define his form for the Azzurri where he practically defied gravity in the qualification games against Bulgaria and Georgia.

“I’m not doing anything special. It’s just that when you are coming off eight months of constant torture from injuries and suddenly you feel fine, it gives you back that joy and desire to play that before you didn’t have.”

Gigi reached a personal milestone by winning his 100th cap for Gli Azzurri this year. Will he be able to complete his trophy cabinet come next May before it’s once more time to take part in another World Cup?

Time will tell, but there’s no denying that Buffon might just be the greatest goalkeeper of all time.