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Gianluigi Buffon received the UEFA President's Award during the draw of this season's competition in Monte Carlo. UEFA paid tribute to the Juventus legend's spectacular career through this honor.
The legendary Italian played in the Champions League with teams like Parma, Juventus, and Paris Saint-Germain. He made 124 appearances in the competition, keeping 53 clean sheets. While Buffon never won the Champions League, he has produced numerous unforgettable saves.
UEFA president Aleksandar Ceferin paid a heartfelt tribute to the 2006 FIFA World Cup winner after selecting him for the UEFA President's Award. Ceferin said (via UEFA's official website):
"Gianluigi Buffon is a player I've admired since he first emerged as a young, charismatic goalkeeper for Parma in the mid-nineties. Beyond his commanding presence between the posts, his longevity and determination make him an inspiration to football fans worldwide."
Ceferin added:
"His remarkable consistency across generations might lead many to believe that staying at the top is easy. The fact that he chose to follow his club to Serie B during his prime, despite being sought after by top clubs around the world, speaks volumes. Buffon is also one of the first athletes to openly discuss mental health and depression, helping to raise crucial awareness of this issue in professional sports."
UEFA paid tribute to Buffon through a social media video with a montage of the Italian's best career moments. His achievements were also listed on the screen during the video.
Checkout UEFA's special tribute to Gianluigi Buffon:
Throwback to Gianluigi Buffon's remarkable career
Gianluigi Buffon showed the world his talent during his stint at Serie A club Parma. He made 265 appearances for them in two different spells, keeping 98 clean sheets. Buffon then joined Juventus in 2001 and made 685 appearances across two stints.
He kept 322 clean sheets for the Old Lady. Buffon moved to Paris Saint-Germain in 2018 for a brief stint and played 25 games for the Parisians, keeping nine clean sheets. He returned to Juve a year later in 2019. Buffon returned to Parma in 2021 and finished his career at his boyhood club in 2023.
At the international level, Buffon played 176 games for Italy, keeping 77 clean sheets. He was a part of the historic Italian team that won the 2006 FIFA World Cup. Buffon made a spectacular save against Zinedine Zidane in that particular match.
Gianluigi Buffon is often in the conversation of the greatest goalkeepers of all time.
