Gianluigi Buffon, the legendary Italian goalkeeper and current team manager of the Azzurri, shared his thoughts on several topics related to the Italian national team as they prepare for upcoming UEFA Nations League matches against Belgium and Israel.
Buffon expressed confidence in Sandro Tonali and Nicolò Fagioli, two players who have returned to the national team after serving suspensions related to a betting scandal. He believes their experiences have made them stronger both as players and individuals:
“We’re talking about young players who have already shown something important. In my opinion, from a human perspective, the experiences they’ve lived through have made them much stronger and better than before. This can only make the national team even more ambitious.”
The former Juventus goalkeeper was not surprised by Italy’s strong performances in recent matches, stating that he expects this level of play to continue:
“The first outings confirmed this type of expectation. As I told them today, the Federation thanks them for the two games they won, but that’s the benchmark. From now on, what we expect from them are performances of that caliber.”
Buffon also commented on the inclusion of Daniel Maldini in the squad, praising the young player’s development:
“In football, as in life, there are incredible sports stories. I believe Daniel has earned all of this because in the last two or three years he has been showing that he is a player with qualities not easily identifiable. He has shown enormous growth.”
Regarding the UEFA Nations League, Buffon emphasized the potential of the young Italian squad:
“These are young guys, but they have already shown something important. This can make the Azzurri ambitious.”
