Thibaut Courtois is regarded as the finest goalkeeper in the world by Parma goalie Gianluigi Buffon. That is what the Italian goalkeeper, who is now 44 years old, claims in an interview with Italian media.
Buffon attended the Festival Dello Sport of the Italian sports publication La Gazzetta dello Sport last weekend while absent from the international game, of course. There, Buffon was questioned regarding his current top five goalkeepers.
Thibaut Courtois (Real Madrid), Gianluigi Donnarumma (Paris Saint-Germain), and Manuel Neuer were the first three that came to Buffon’s mind (Bayern Munich). He selected AC Milan’s Mike Maignan and Atlético Madrid’s Jan Oblak to round out the five.
This has certainly raised a few eyebrows, especially among fans of English football. All five from Parma goalie Gianluigi Buffon’s list features players from all top five leagues but the Prem. This comes out as a surprise, considering, Mendy, Allison and Ederson have established themselves as the very best in the game.
Buffon is yet to retire from professional football, standing in between the sticks. With his childhood sweetheart Parma, he missed the season’s opening games. But for the final two contests, he was stood between the sticks wearing the captain’s armband. The veteran, who will be 45 in January, is still under contract with Parma through the middle of 2024.
