Gianluigi Buffon has no plans to retire anytime soon and extended his contract with Parma until 2024 when he will be 46. He has appeared in 23 matches thus far this season, generally performing well. He is eyeing a potential spot in the World Cup roster in Qatar.
The Gialloblù president Kyle Krause commented: “Gigi is a great player and still a top-three Italian goalkeeper. Besides his leadership skills, he has great human qualities. His decision to keep playing for us is an honor.”
Buffon chimed in to Adnkronos after prolonging with Parma: “I have not given any thought to what I will do next. Focusing on being a footballer is already demanding enough, and I do not want to have regrets or waste any energy. I will operate like this until the last day, and then I will have time to focus on something else. I shoulder a lot of responsibilities, and I will feel their weight.”
“This is a nice day for me, my family, and my agent. This was my wish, and it got fulfilled. I hoped that the president, the fans, and the city were on the same page. When we took on this adventure together, we needed a strong and enthusiastic message to remove the doom and gloom following the relegation. We have to free ourselves from that and see this as a starting point. The biggest possible guarantee in football is to have an ambitious owner.”
Buffon has conceded 23 goals and kept 8 clean sheets in 23 appearances with Parma this season. However, the Ducali have mostly struggled, and they are long shots to make the playoffs. They are in 13th position, 9 points away from a post-season berth. They recently hired Giuseppe Iachini and signed Goran Pandev and Simy.