Legendary Italian goalkeeper Gianluigi Buffon recently opened up about pivotal moments in his career and his battle with depression in an interview with Corriere della Sera. The former Juventus and national team captain shared insights into opportunities that could have altered his career path and the challenges he faced off the pitch.
Buffon revealed that he had considered returning to the national team after initially retiring, at the request of interim coach Gigi Di Biagio. However, he ultimately decided against it due to a negative media campaign. “I had already left the national team when Gigi Di Biagio, who replaced Ventura, proposed that I return to help with Donnarumma’s integration. I gladly accepted. But a campaign against me began in the newspapers and on social media: Buffon is old, but doesn’t want to step aside… They were making memes where I, wrinkled, proclaimed: I’m aiming for the 2500 World Cup! It was all clearly orchestrated by someone, perhaps an agent. So I gave up,” Buffon explained.
The goalkeeper also disclosed that he turned down offers from Atalanta and Barcelona in his later years. “Atalanta wanted me. Gasperini sent me a WhatsApp: ‘With you, we’ll win the Champions League.’ It was Pirlo who convinced me to stay at Juve,” Buffon said. He added, “I also had an offer from Barcelona as a second goalkeeper: the idea of playing with Messi, after CR7, appealed to me.”
Buffon touched on his regret of never winning the Champions League, particularly reflecting on the 2017 PSG elimination. “We had won 2-0 in Manchester against United. I understood that we weren’t preparing for the return leg properly. But I didn’t say anything: after all, I was the last to arrive, maybe I still had a provincial mentality, after all, they were all champions, Mbappé had just won the World Cup… We conceded a goal immediately due to a defensive error, the second was also partly due to an inaccurate save by me, we got the third and were eliminated. We hadn’t prepared properly for the return leg,” he admitted.
Perhaps most poignantly, Buffon opened up about his struggle with depression in 2003. He described a panic attack before a match against Reggina: “I felt pressure in my chest, I couldn’t breathe, I thought I would never want to be there and would never be able to play the match.” Buffon revealed how he overcame this moment, recognizing it as a crucial juncture in his career and life.
The goalkeeper also shared how he dealt with depression, refusing medication and instead turning to art. “I refused drugs. I would have needed them, but I feared becoming dependent. I only went to the psychotherapist three or four times, but she gave me valuable advice: cultivate other interests, don’t focus entirely on football. It was then that I discovered painting,” Buffon recounted.
