The end is near: The historic footballer who set his retirement date

Gianluigi Buffon is one of the best soccer goalkeepers in the story of this sport. The historic 43-year-old goalkeeper is enjoying his time at Juventus, although he knows he is closer to retirement. In this sense, the Italian confirmed until when he will continue playing, stating that "this is really the maximum".

In an interview with The Guardian, the world champion at the 2006 World Cup in Germany set a date for the end of his career. "In my head, there really is a final stop sign, which is June 2023," declared the Juventus goalkeeper. In this way, he confirmed that he wants to continue in activity until he is 45 years old, although he did not rule out retiring this season. "That's really the maximum, but I could also stop playing in four months," he added.

In addition, Buffon referred to his performance, which he believes is not affected by age. “They say that when you get to my age, decline happens from one moment to the next. I do not believe it. I feel what I feel, and the sensations that I have inside of me do not make me think that there is going to be a sudden collapse", he commented. 

How is his relationship with the technical director, Andrea Pirlo?

On the other hand, the Italian goalkeeper spoke about his relationship with Andrea Pirlo, with whom he shared a team for many years. "My friendship with Pirlo goes back a long time. In practice, he, Gennaro Gattuso and I have known each other since 1993. When you have the fortune and the ability to share a journey like winning the World Cup, I really think that sealed our relationship". he said.

However, he acknowledged that in the group both have the same cordial treatment that DT has with any footballer. "In front of other people, it will always be the Mister. It is a question of roles, a question of respect, a question of intelligence. As long as we are here, he has one role and I have another. When we leave this place or go out together, then we can be Gigi and Andrea, "he concluded.