‘He wore number one. He was the number one. He truly is one of one’ James Horncastle, Serie A reporter for The Athletic‘A superb and revealing autobiography’ John Foot, author of Calcio: A History of Italian Football'Few could debut at seventeen against that Milan and keep a clean pair of shorts, let alone a clean sheet, but Gigi did'James Richardson, The Totally Football Show
On 19 November 1995, the world learned the name Gianluigi Buffon. At the tender age of seventeen he made his Serie A debut for Parma against European giants Milan, facing down the likes of Roberto Baggio and George Weah, keeping a clean sheet. During his twenty-eight-year long career Buffon broke many records including:- The most capped goalkeeper of all time and the most appearance for Italy (176)- The most Serie A titles (10) - The longest time in Serie A without conceding a goal (974 minutes)The numbers, however, only tell half the story of a player famously nicknamed “Superman” for his athletic prowess.In Saved Buffon reveals that even superheroes struggle with their inner demons. Beyond his individual triumphs with Parma, Juventus and PSG – the famous World Cup win in 2006 – Buffon reflects on his deeply human challenges off the pitch.He describes being devoured by depression between games and the psychological toll of being a goalkeeper – the loneliest position in football - often finding solace in talking to his gloves. He opens up about his gambling, smoking during matches and the strains on his relationships which became fodder for the press. Buffon’s are the struggles of a man whose talents and flaws co-exit.Saved is both a meditation on the art of goalkeeping and a love letter to the golden age of Italian football.