A true end of an era.
It’s been a difficult few months for Gianluigi Buffon, and not quite the glorious farewell tour he would have wished for.
Italy’s defeat to Sweden in November meant that Buffon would not feature in the upcoming World Cup in Russia, thus denying the goalkeeper the chance to bow out on the biggest stage in football.
Back in March, he found incredible words to honour Davide Astori, after the Fiorentina captain passed away suddenly at the age of 31.
A month later, he was sent off at the climax of Juventus’ quarter-final showdown with Real Madrid in the Champions League, and didn’t exactly cover himself in glory afterward, slamming referee Michael Oliver in dramatic fashion.
Though Buffon has dominated these headlines, his incredible career shouldn’t be overlooked, and it certainly wasn’t on Saturday when he was substituted midway through the second half as Juventus took on Verona in Buffon’s final ever game for the club he’s lined out for since 2001.
As you might expect, things got quite emotional when his number was up, with teammates rushing to his side and fans openly weeping in the stands.
62' ⏲ Allianz Stadium says goodbye to an all-time great, @GianluigiBuffon. 🙌🙌🙌 #UN1CO 🏳🏴 #FINOALLAFINE pic.twitter.com/JTnLeVkNBk
— JuventusFC 🇬🇧🇺🇸 (@juventusfcen) May 19, 2018
https://twitter.com/ADP1113/status/997846315693428742
It was all too much for one family member, too.
Buffon's eldest kid, Louis-Thomas, watches his father come off in tears pic.twitter.com/Nrq6ZcXssY
— Tarek Khatib (@ADP1113) May 19, 2018
And it didn’t stop there.
Buffon salutes Allegri, his Juventus teammates & the coaching staff after he is substituted off. Heart-breaking scenes. pic.twitter.com/QFKXCAOS6k
— Tarek Khatib (@ADP1113) May 19, 2018
A glorious end to an amazing run, but that not might be all for Buffon, with several suitors believed to be lining up for his signature, including Paris Saint Germain.
