‘That’s all folks!’ Italy legend Gianluigi Buffon hangs up his gloves after 28 years

MILAN – Italy’s 2006 World Cup-winning goalkeeper Gianluigi Buffon announced his retirement on Wednesday at the age of 45, sparking tributes from the world of football.

“That’s all folks! You gave me everything. I gave you everything. We did it together,” he posted on social media.

The Italian hangs up his gloves after two final years at Parma, the club where it all began nearly three decades ago when Italian football was Europe’s gold standard.

He had a contract which ran until next summer with Parma, but he will no longer be a part of the Serie B club’s bid to return to the top flight after two years away. Parma paid a handsome tribute to him, saying he is “a man, a champion, a captain for the club and the city”.

“Over the course of his illustrious career, Gigi was unequalled, in his abilities, an implacable determination and an unshakeable passion both on the pitch and off it,” said Parma owner Kyle Krause.

Buffon is a symbol of a halcyon age when the best footballers went to play in Serie A and Italy developed dozens of world-class players. The former Italy captain has a record 176 caps for his country while also holding the record for Serie A matches played – 657, stretching back to 1995.

After bursting on to the scene as a 17-year-old, keeping out the likes of George Weah and Roberto Baggio in his Parma debut against AC Milan, Buffon’s career had no shortage of silverware.

The majority came over 19 seasons at Juventus, where he won 10 Serie A titles, five Italian Cups, while he also won the Uefa Cup in 1999 for Parma as part of possibly the best team in the club’s history.

“We would like to thank you once again. It is one of those moments we will remember in the history of football,” Juventus said in a statement.

“You were not only the best, you did more than that, you became THE goalkeeper.”

He also won Ligue 1 with Paris Saint-Germain in 2019 before returning to Juve, but he will be most fondly remembered for Italy’s victory at the 2006 World Cup.

His former PSG teammate Kylian Mbappe took to social media to pay tribute, describing him as “a golden man”.

“It was a huge honour for me to have the chance to rub shoulders with you and cross paths with you in your legendary career,” the Frenchman wrote.

“You are a golden man who gave me precious advice that I will keep with me for the rest of my life.

“Happy travels and above all thank you.”

Buffon won his last trophy in his final season with Juve in 2021, lifting the Italian Cup alongside Federico Chiesa, 22 years after he triumphed with Parma alongside his teammate’s father Enrico. AFP