44-year-old Gianluigi Buffon has once again shown the world he is still capable of menacing strikers. Eighteen days before his 45th birthday, the veteran frustrated Internazionale with a great performance under the bar at Parma. The Serie B club was close to a stunt thanks to the goalkeeper’s performance.
It was Buffon’s fiftieth time playing at Inter’s Giuseppe Meazza stadium. In the game in the Coppa Italia, the goalkeeper was given a place under the bar of Parma after three months of injury. That was 25 years and 129 days since he first wore the shirt of his childhood sweetheart in the cup tournament. On September 3, 1997, he played for Parma in the cup match against Venezia. Only three of his teammates in the starting line-up were already born at that time.
Thanks to a goal from Stanko Juric, Parma took the lead in Milan. Inter, which just started with big names such as Lautaro Martínez, Denzel Dumfries and Stefan de Vrij, then ran into Parma and Buffon. “The Italian wall proved that he is the best goalkeeper of all time,” Tuttosport wrote on Wednesday morning.
Buffon was initially booed by the arch-rival’s fans
As a former stronghold of Juventus, Buffon was initially booed by the arch-rival’s fans. But the 44-year-old goalkeeper gained more and more appreciation from the tifosi as the game progressed. One spectacular save after another by the veteran followed, after which Parma even seemed to be on the way to a stunt. Until Lautaro hit just before time. The Argentinian, twelve days old when Buffon made his debut, ensured the liberation at the top club.
In extra time, Buffon finally had to surrender after a few saves after a beautiful header from Francesco Acerbi. However, the brave performance of the 44-year-old Italian legend was celebrated by the newspapers. La Gazzetta dello Sport named Buffon man of the match. While Tuttosport filled the front page with the goalkeeper, proclaiming him ‘best goalkeeper ever’.
