Twitter Reacts As Gianluigi Buffon Announces Juventus Departure

By Naveen Kelvin | May 17, 2018 |

REUTERS/Darren Staples

It is proving to be the season of legends leaving their treasured sides. After the likes of Iniesta, Wenger, and Yaya Toure, we now have another name to add to the list.

On Thursday, Gianluigi Buffon announced that he will be leaving Juventus at the end of this season. The 40-year-old goalkeeper has been an iconic sight, and hailed repeatedly as one of the best in the world.

His statement read: “Over the next three days, full of emotion, I will, after two or three days of reflection, make a definitive decision. I’ll try to follow whatever calls to my soul and my nature.”

The clash against Verona will be his final game in a 23-year-long career that has seen him play at just two clubs – Parma and Juventus.

“On Saturday I will play a game and that is the only certainty I have. A return to Parma is a romantic childhood dream, but nothing more than that,” he added.

Needless to say, Twitter had its reactions and tributes flowing, which seemed to mark the end of an era of phenomenal talent .

https://twitter.com/juventusfcen/status/997055596846309376

https://twitter.com/Football__Tweet/status/997051861353009152

https://twitter.com/IFTVofficial/status/997061230039846913

https://twitter.com/FabrizioRomano/status/997051461937913856

He also spoke about his back problems from 2010, resulting from an operation: “That was the turning point for me. The moment when everyone – quite rightly, let’s be fair – thought Buffon was at the end of the road. I found within myself, also thanks to them, the strength to say I want this great career to become a unique one.”

He added: “It meant working hard, suffering, sweating, even improving although I was 32 years old and had won the World Cup. Now eight years later, we have many more trophies and much more satisfaction compared to eight years ago. That was unthinkable back then, even for me.”

Italy being ousted from the World Cup qualifications, coupled with Juventus’s poor Champions League showing this season certainly makes it an apt time for an exit.

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