Gianluigi Buffon will not leave Italy after all but still avoid facing Juventus next season, as he desires. The goalkeeper has joined Parma on a two-year deal. The Gialloblù introduced him with a series of Superman-related clues. He turned proposals from Barcelona, where he would have been the backup, and Besiktas, preferring to move back to his first team, Sky Sport reports.
Buffon decided not to extend his contract with Juventus in early May, ending his second stint at the club. He was Wojciech Szczesny’s reserve in the past two campaigns after a season at PSG. He will reportedly earn €1.3M per season and be the captain.
The 43-year-old goalkeeper reunites with his old teammate Enzo Maresca in Emilia, who will coach the team. Former Juventus scout Javier Ribalta now heads the Parma management. They plan to return quickly to Serie A after the relegation.
Buffon made his Serie A debut with the Ducali in 1995, when he was 17. He collected 168 appearances over five years, contributing to the historic 1998/1999 campaign. They won the UEFA Cup, the Coppa Italia, and the Supercoppa that year.
The Bianconeri acquired him in 2001 for today’s equivalent of €52.88M plus a €15M rated player. He went to shatter countless records in his 19 seasons with the Old Lady, winning ten Scudetti. He had announced in his last presser: “I will either quit or consider a club that gives me proper motivation or allows me to make a different life experience. In Italy, I could play only at Juventus or Parma.”