Gianluigi Buffon, the legendary Juventus goalkeeper, has recently revealed that leaving Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) was the “biggest mistake” of his life, costing him almost £9 million. Buffon, who is widely regarded as one of the greatest goalkeepers of all time, ended his 17-year-long association with Juventus to join PSG in 2018. However, he returned to Juventus within a season due to issues with the French club’s selection policy.
Buffon, who is currently winding down his career with Parma in Italy’s second division, expressed his regret about leaving PSG during a Twitch stream with former Italy teammate Christian Vieri. He admitted that he gave up €10 million (£8.8m) when he left PSG and that he now regrets the decision. Buffon said that he did not accept PSG’s decision to play Alphonse Areola in the Champions League instead of him, as he believes that the one who deserves it should play.
Buffon also revealed that he enjoyed his time at PSG and considered it the most beautiful experience of his life. He felt like a free man and quickly learned French, talked to people on the street, and visited museums. Buffon was part of a team that included Neymar, Kylian Mbappe, Angel Di Maria, and Dani Alves, which he believed was superior. However, he expressed his disappointment at their Champions League knockout to Manchester United in 2019.
Buffon said that he was convinced that PSG was superior to Manchester United and that they dominated the first leg of the round of 16 at Old Trafford, winning 2-0. However, they were eliminated in the second leg after Marcus Rashford’s stoppage-time penalty at the Parc des Princes made it 3-1 to the Red Devils, giving them an away goals win. Buffon considered this defeat to be the biggest disappointment of his career.
Buffon is currently back at his former club Parma and has revealed that he will retire at the end of next season when his contract expires. He said that he would like to retire after next season and does not want to be considered a backup keeper because he is still competitive.
In conclusion, Buffon’s decision to leave PSG was a costly mistake that he now regrets. He gave up almost £9 million and missed out on playing in a great team with some of the world’s best players. Despite this setback, Buffon remains one of the greatest goalkeepers of all time and continues to compete at a high level with Parma. Fans will surely miss him when he retires at the end of next season.