New Italy Delegation chief Gigi Buffon gave his first press conference in the role and explained why he chose to finally end his playing career. The Juventus and Italy legend spoke to the gathered press at his unveiling, explaining why he didn’t want to play a farewell match when he finally decided to retire, and the gratitude he feels for being appointed to this new role:
“I thank the President, the Azzurri family and the coach for the trust placed in me, which was not due and not taken for granted. If in their imagination a figure like mine represents union and renewal, it makes me proud and stimulates me, making me happy, returning to an environment that I think I know quite well”
“Vialli? His memory is immense and beautiful, an extraordinary relationship even off the pitch, there was a total sharing with him. But to think of coming here and reproducing what he was would be wrong”.
“My career? I have no regrets of any kind. Doing farewell matches is something I don’t like because I think it’s melancholic, when I end my playing career I have to think about the future: we move on. It was great, now comes a new adventure.”
“It is very important to know the history in order to appreciate it. I was born and raised with the myth of Paolo Rossi, Zoff and the ’82 Azzurri, with my father’s stories. Coming to Coverciano and seeing Riva was like seeing a monument for me because my family had passed it on to me. That’s how young people can become passionate, as well as having a beautiful and winning national team/”
“Retirement? It made no sense to continue, for me it was the right moment. Quitting was not difficult, the age was right, I had given myself the last season as a trial run, I had arrived in an excellent psycho-physical state and I managed to get injured. That was the signal that life had given me.”
“Spalletti? I heard about concepts, emotions, values that for me are essential if you want to reach a minimum goal. For me he is the right man at the right time.”
“Mancini? What do you want me to say, the president and the coach have already spoken. It is an unexpected choice to which, however, the Federation has given very convincing answers. This is the thing that interests the Azzurri world the most.”
