Gianluigi Buffon

John Max 04 Dec,2017

Early Life

Gianluigi Buffon was born was Gianluigi Gigi Buffon on 28 January 1978, in Carrara, Italy. He was born to an athlete family; his mother Maria Stella Buffon was a discus thrower and his father, Adriano Bufoon was a weightlifter. His two sisters are Guendalina Buffon and Veronica Buffon.

He began his youth football with the youth academy of Parma in 1991, at the age of 13.

Club Career

Parma

Being promoted from the youth academy of Parma, he made his professional club debut on 19 November 1995, keeping a clean sheet against Milan. While his time with the club, he was trained by Villiam Vecchi, a person to whom Buffon attributes much of his confidence, development, and success. He was named the starting goalkeeper during his second season with the club. He made his Champions League debut on 13 August 1997, against Widzew Łódź.

He won his first European trophy, the UEFA Cup keeping a clean sheet in the final against Marseille in his fourth season with the club. His six successive seasons with the club ended with a total of 168 appears.

Juventus

He then made his move to the league's fellow club Juventus on 3 July 2001, replacing Edwin van der Sar, signing to a three years contract with the club. He made his professional club debut in a match against Venezia on 26 August 2001. In his first season with the club, he made 45 appearances, helping his team to win the Serie A title conceding only 22 goals. At the very beginning of the 2002-03 season, Juventus won the 2002 Supercoppa Italiana against Parma.

He is regarded as the club legend as he has won several major trophies leading his team. He was announced as the captain of the club in 2012. He is also one of the highest goalkeepers, he is currently playing his 16th season with the club making a total of 500 appearances and more to come.

He is a good friend of his teammates Paulo Dybala and Higuain. His formal teammate Andrea Pirlo was named as Juventus coach.

International Career

Gianluigi Buffon has represented his national team Italy at both junior and senior levels in several competitions. He has at all youth levels, from the under-16 side to the under-23 side. He made his senior international debut on 29 October 1997, at the age of 19 years in a match against Russia in the 1998 World Cup qualification play-off.

He has won the 2006 FIFA World Cup with Italy against France. He is the most capped Italian player with a total of 175 appearances. After his team failed to qualify for the 2018 FIFA Word cup, he announced his retirement from an International career in 2017. He is good friends with his teammates Ignazio Abate, Giorgio Chiellini etc.

Personal Life

Gianluigi Buffon is a married man; he got married to his long-term girlfriend Alena Šeredova. His partner Alena Šeredova is a Czech model. The couple tied their knots on 11 July 2011, in his hometown Italy, among their family and friends. The couple together has two children named Luis Thomas born in 2007, and David Lee born in 2009.

He announced his divorce with his wife after three years of his relationship and was later linked with Italian sports pundit, journalist, and television host Ilaria D'Amico. The couple together has a son named son Leopoldo born on 6 January 2016.

Net Worth and Endorsements

Gianluigi Buffon is a wealthy man; he has an estimated net worth of $50 million in 2017, including all of properties and incomes. As of 2017, he is receiving an annual salary of $5.4 million from his present club in the Serie A. He is paid €80,000 as a weekly wage.

Besides his earnings from his professional career he too earns certain amounts through his endorsement deals with several brands and companies. He is linked with brands like Reale Mutua, Addidas and others.

Buffon owns a house in Milan, Italy and also has several luxurious cars including Audi Q3.