Latest news with #GianluigiBuffon
Daily Mirror
3 days ago
- Entertainment
- Daily Mirror
'I cried myself to sleep after UCL final - what Lionel Messi did stuck with me'
Regarded by many as the greatest goalkeeper to never win the Champions League, Gianluigi Buffon was an emotional wreck when falling short of his ultimate goal back in 2015 Gianluigi Buffon admitted his Champions League failure against Lionel Messi left him crying himself to sleep - but paid tribute to the Argentine for his actions after the game. The Italian legend achieved almost everything in football, but one glaring absence on his hefty trophy mantle is the appearance of a Champions League trophy. The former goalkeeper was 37 when he reached his second European final with Juventus in 2015, when they faced Barcelona in Berlin. Many believed it was Buffon's last chance of capturing the honour. Both teams required the trophy to complete the continental Treble, given they had both secured their respective domestic league and cup titles. It was the Spanish side who drew first blood with Ivan Rakitic opening the scoring in the fourth minute. Alvaro Morata equalised in the second half, but it turned out to be in vain as goals from Luis Suarez and Neymar secured the return of the trophy to Catalonia after a four-year absence. A second defeat on the grand stage for Buffon was a hard pill to swallow for the 2006 World Cup winner. He admitted during the presentation of his book titled 'Fall, Rise Again, Fall, Rise Again' that he and his wife were left crying until they went to bed. "It was 5:30am, and my wife Ilaria and I cried while hugging each other," the 47-year-old said to Mundo Deportivo."After Berlin, I went home. You're stunned by the defeat, like after a night of heavy drinking. "I stayed in the living room, she changed clothes, and we didn't say a word. We hugged and cried for five minutes and then went to bed. "Sharing the same feelings and emotions means a lot. It's always better to win because it boosts your confidence and self-esteem. But only defeats push you to think, understand what went wrong, and thus improve." Despite the heartbreaking defeat, Buffon was left touched after the match when Messi asked for his shirt, and in return gave his own shirt, which the Italian described as "the best in history." "I was filled with pride in the Berlin final at 37 years old," he added. "When he asked for my shirt, I thought: 'My God, how beautiful it is'. One of those moments where I didn't feel uncomfortable but saw myself through different eyes." Referring to his third Champions League final defeat in 2017, when Juventus came up against Real Madrid in Cardiff, Buffon said: "We exchanged shirts. At the end of the match, however, we had other problems, not knowing that a few years later we would have another chance in a final." The 4-1 defeat to the Spanish giants was Buffon's last appearance in the final of the Champions League and Juventus' most recent appearance in the fixture.
New York Times
12-05-2025
- Sport
- New York Times
To understand how good Carlo Ancelotti is as a club manager, look at what he does NOT do…
The first time I saw a Carlo Ancelotti team in the flesh was at the atrocious 2003 Champions League final. To appreciate what that game was like, imagine booking a five-star hotel and then flying out on holiday, only to find the place is still a building site. The saving grace was that it did end eventually, in Ancelotti's favour. Advertisement I think about it now and again, though, because of how stacked the pitch was. Old Trafford, home of Manchester United, was invaded by the heavyweight division of Italian football: Alessandro Nesta, Filippo Inzaghi, Andrea Pirlo and Paolo Maldini, a mere four names in the Milan line-up that Ancelotti went with. Opponents Juventus had Alessandro Del Piero, Gianluigi Buffon and Gianluca Zambrotta. I marvel at the travesty of all that pedigree grinding to a goalless draw over 120 minutes and a Milan win on penalties. Putting the spectacle aside, that final shows how Ancelotti has been moving in circles of coaching excellence for so many years. It's impressive how much history the sport's coolest cigar-smoker is associated with. Maldini, his captain that night at Old Trafford, made his professional debut in 1985. Jude Bellingham, who Ancelotti signed to Real Madrid two years ago, is still just 21, so could easily play beyond 2040. The game is never too young or too old for Ancelotti and even today, at 65, it hasn't left him behind. Things change, trends come and go, but Don Carlo sticks around. Or he has to this point, in his 11th coaching job. But in leaving Madrid this summer, Ancelotti may be closing the book on his run in elite club management. Don't take that as read, because there's something about him that brings European offers to his door — he's rarely a bad answer to questions in high-level boardrooms — but by signing a contract with the Brazil national team, and starting work this month, it feels a little like Ancelotti is checking out. And with that in mind, the time is right to give some thought to where he sits in the pantheon of outstanding managers. Historically, Ancelotti is one of the most interesting people in his profession — not based on what he is, but what he isn't. Advertisement Unlike several of his peers, he didn't create a movement. There is no School of Ancelotti and no wave of disciples behind him. He wasn't the founding father of tiki-taka or the architect of Total Football. He wasn't defined by gegenpressing, and he didn't perfect the parking of the bus like Jose Mourinho did. You could make a case for Ancelotti being the greatest club manager of all time, yet people rarely do. Is it possible to define what the archetypal Ancelotti side actually looks like? The very best coaches can seem tortured by the pursuit of purity or stylistic excellence. It's why you see Pep Guardiola with self-inflicted scratches on his face. It's why Jurgen Klopp bowed to fatigue and left Liverpool last year. You'll spot the signs of constant stress oozing from Marcelo Bielsa. Part of Ancelotti's philosophy, or so it seems, is to be philosophical about his work; to avoid getting in too deep, psychologically. He played for Arrigo Sacchi at Milan, but he doesn't act like him. If you read The Immortals, Sacchi's diary from his reign at Milan, you'll discover an inspired eccentric who treated coaching like a science project. Sacchi was recommending thermal mud baths to players in the mid-1980s. To pinch Klopp's quote from the front cover of that book: 'Sacchi completely changed how we think about football.' That won't be said about Ancelotti. But does it matter? Here's the counter-argument: Ancelotti, as a coach, has won 30 trophies (admittedly short of Guardiola, who is knocking on the door of 40). He has claimed the title in all five of Europe's big leagues — the Premier League, La Liga in Spain, Serie A in Italy, Germany's Bundesliga and Ligue 1 in France — and combined with his five successes in the Champions League, this represents the full set. Nobody other than him has done it. He is also out on his own with those five European titles, ranging from 2003 (let's not speak of it again) to 2024. That's the tail-end of the analogue era, running right through to the current height of the digital age. If football thought Ancelotti would become outdated someday, it was very wrong. Objectively, his CV is a list of big teams and big budgets. He was supposed to shoot high with these clubs, but confidence in his manner and professionalism explains why he was entrusted to lead them in the first place. A conclusion you can draw from his durability at the top is that footballers can connect with Ancelotti. That was true in the early 2000s, and it's still true 20 years later. To stay the course requires a human touch. Advertisement Tactically, he gives the impression of a coach who will bend to accommodate the strengths of any given squad, rather than insist on a set of players suited to dogmatic principles. It doesn't always work and Madrid have run off the tracks this season. But the shuffle of his midfield on the way to a double of trophies in La Liga and the Champions League last season was the mark of a man who understands his craft. So, is there a way of working out where Ancelotti ranks in the pantheon? Reducing the Italian to data is regrettable because it strips away the style of a man who poses with cigars at trophy parades and blows casually on his touchline cups of coffee as goals fly in for the team he is managing. He would probably prefer not to be painted by numbers. All the same, how can you accurately gauge whether Ancelotti, as a full package, pips Guardiola or Sacchi or, going back further, a genius such as Johan Cruyff? Aurel Nazmiu, a senior data scientist with analytical firm Twenty First Group, did his best to provide a modern-day verdict. Using a metric based on the wage bills of respective clubs, he calculated that in the period from the 2013-14 season to the 2023-24 one, Ancelotti's three Champions League wins with Madrid were roughly two more than expected. It registers him as the leading overperformer in that competition (Guardiola is the biggest overachiever as a whole, with 18 major trophies at Bayern Munich and Manchester City, 10 more than the stats predicted he would win). Domestically, Ancelotti's three league titles in the period concerned fall short of the 4.5 anticipated by Aurel's model but a total of eight major trophies is bang on target. The Italian delivers, and nowhere more so than in the Champions League, a stage where Guardiola has often been driven to distraction. Maybe that's the most pertinent contrast. There are coaches whose teams you've enjoyed watching more — if you're reading, Carlo, I'll accept cash or card by way of a refund for those couple of hours at Old Trafford — but Ancelotti's club career hasn't been that of a manager seeking validation. He's no pussycat, and surviving for four years straight in his second spell at the Bernabeu doesn't happen without a set of teeth or a degree in diplomacy, but it isn't his style to go rogue or deflect blame, nor does he have to be the darling of the sport. Advertisement Though football can leave the finest coaches looking drawn, battered and empty, Ancelotti has the air of one who told himself to enjoy it until the music stops. He'll have regrets, of that there's no doubt. But unlike some of his contemporaries, I'm not sure they'll keep him awake at night.
Daily Mail
21-04-2025
- Sport
- Daily Mail
Inside Pope Francis' love of football: The self-confessed admirer of 'The Beautiful Game' rubbed shoulders with Lionel Messi, Ronaldinho and Pep Guardiola - and had a three-word label to describe Diego Maradona
Pope Francis is being mourned all over the world following his death at the age of 88, with football paying its own tribute to the Argentine. Just minutes after his passing was confirmed on Monday morning, Italy's Serie A confirmed they had postponed all of their matches scheduled for Easter Monday as a mark of respect for the late Pope. It is a fitting tribute for a man who adored 'The Beautiful Game'. Hailing from Buenos Aires, Argentina, the Pope was a lifelong supporter of his local team, San Lorenzo, and he was delighted to receive a club shirt back in 2013. As he rose to power, he also got the chance to meet some of his country's footballing heroes. They don't come much bigger than the great Diego Maradona, and the pair met at the Vatican in 2014, six years before the iconic footballer died at the age of 60. The Pope also exchanged gifts with Lionel Messi and Gianluigi Buffon in 2013 when they visited the Vatican The Pope met legendary manager Pep Guardiola in 2014 when he was in charge of Bayern Munich The Pope held a private audience with Guardiola and his team, and was clearly delighted to meet them He was even given a signed Champions League ball that he was seen clutching gleefully He also met Germany's players - including Thomas Muller (left) - two years after their 2014 World Cup triumph The Pope remembered Maradona in his prayers following his death, and referred to him as the 'poet of soccer' after his incredible career that saw him lead Argentina to World Cup glory in 1986. If anyone can match Maradona's achievements on a football pitch it is his fellow countryman Lionel Messi who also got the chance to share the Pope's company. Alongside goalkeeping legend Gianluigi Buffon, Messi and the Pope exchanged gifts back in 2013, and Messi would lead Argentina to the World Cup final the following year. Eight years after that, Messi got his nation over the line as Argentina lifted the World Cup for the third time in Qatar in 2022. During his 12 years in the Vatican, the Pope was more than happy to welcome some of the sport's biggest stars into his home. He greeted Pep Guardiola during a private audience with his Bayern Munich team in 2014, and Germany's players - including Thomas Muller - visited him in 2016, two years after winning the World Cup. As he spent a considerable part of his life in Italy, it is no surprise that the Pope also rubbed shoulders with some of the nation's greatest footballers. He welcomed ex-Man City striker Mario Balotelli to the Vatican in 2013, and was happy to pose for photos with Buffon and Andrea Pirlo when the pair visited him a year later. He was happy to pose for photos with Gianluigi Buffon and Andrea Pirlo, who won the World Cup together in 2006 Buffon, who was known for his safe hands, was ecstatic when he handed over a signed ball to the Pope The Pope received a personalised shirt from another Italian icon, Alessandro Del Piero, in 2014 The Pope also rubbed shoulders with Brazilian superstar Ronaldinho as he supported a charity event in 2022 He was on hand to watch a Children's Day event in Rome last year, shortly before he was taken unwell Celtic boss Brendan Rodgers presented the Pope with a signed club shirt when he visited him in 2023 Napoli president Aurelio de Laurentiis gave the Pope a signed shirt when he got the chance to meet him in 2023 The Pope saw the fun side of football, and played a game of table football back in 2021 He guided the ship at the Vatican for 12 years, and was given a captain's armband when he attended the Clericus Cup in 2019 He also got presented with a ball at the match at St Peter's Square in the Vatican The Pope was also gifted a shirt that read 'Papa Francesco' by Juventus icon Alessandro Del Piero. Charity work was also close to the Pope's heart, and this led to him receiving a special shirt with his name on it from Brazilian superstar Ronaldinho ahead of a match to raise funds in 2022. Celtic boss Brendan Rodgers then handed him a shirt signed by all the players in 2023, with the Pope more than happy to take it as he embraced football until his dying day. Napoli president Aurelio de Laurentiis presented him with a club shirt in the same year, but it did not change the Pope's loyalties. It was always San Lorenzo that had his heart.
Yahoo
17-03-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Buffon: Italy have an 'ultra competitive' team for Germany quarters
Italy are not underdogs in this week's Nations League quarter-final tie with Germany, their former goalkeeper great Gianluigi Buffon has said. "Italy have an ultra-competitive team with a smart and charismatic coach in Luciano Spalletti, and with pros who would play in any national team," Buffon told Monday's edition of German sports magazine Kicker. The teams meet on Thursday in Milan and on Sunday in Dortmund. The winning nation will host the Final Four mini tournament in June. Buffon, a 2006 World Cup winner who is new head the Italian nationaal team delegation, said the Azzurri have overcome a shock last 16 exit against Switzerland as title holders at Euro 2024. The team showed that by comfortably qualifying for the Nations League quarters from a group featuring France, Belgium and Israel. "Now we have to confirm the work of the last six months in two games against one of the strongest teams of them all," he said. But Buffon added: "That doesn't mean we have to beat them. It means meeting at the top level and on an equal footing during the 180 minutes. That would be the most important insight. If we are still narrowly eliminated, you just have to congratulate the better team." Italy have a good record in knock-out ties against Germany. They won the 1982 World Cup final as well as semi-finals at the World Cup in 1970 and 2006, and at Euro 2012. Germany's only win in such a tie was on penalties in the Euro 2016 quarter-finals.
New York Times
31-01-2025
- Entertainment
- New York Times
The Athletic's Friday football quiz question #40
Welcome to the 40th edition of The Athletic's Friday quiz question. At the end of every week, we'll serve up a poser from our vault of football conundrums. It won't be easy (unless you're really good), but what better way to head into the weekend than giving your soccer-loving brain some exercise? Chuck it in your group chats and see who knows their stuff. Advertisement Oh, and there's no prize, except the quiet satisfaction of a job well done. So, without any further delay… Put these European Cup/Champions League moments in chronological order (from oldest to most recent): A: Gianluigi Buffon plays his last game in the competition B: Two clubs from the same country contest the final of the competition for the first time C: The last season without Barcelona playing in the competition D: A player scores a hat-trick of penalties in a match in the competition for the first time E: Cristiano Ronaldo scores his first goal in the competition Stuck? The answer will be revealed here later today. P.S. The links to the previous 39 Friday quiz questions are below. The previous quiz questions: Question 1 Question 2 Question 3 Question 4 Question 5 Question 6 Question 7 Question 8 Question 9 Question 10 Question 11 Question 12 Question 13 Question 14 Question 15 Question 16 Question 17 Question 18 Question 19 Question 20 Question 21 Question 22 Question 23 Question 24 Question 25 Question 26 Question 27 Question 28 Question 29 Question 30 Question 31 Question 32 Question 33 Question 34 Question 35 Question 36 Question 37 Question 38 Question 39 (Top image artwork: Eamonn Dalton)
