More used to the sidelines than to the field this season with Juventus, Gianluigi Buffon is the best goalkeeper in history according to the votes of a panel of specialists brought together by The Gazzetta dello Sport.
The Italian daily interviewed 18 famous goalkeepers including Dino Zoff, Manuel Neuer and Peter Schmeichel. A Frenchman is on the panel: Bernard Lama, the former PSG and Blues goalkeeper.
But if the instruction was obviously to give only one name, some have played with the rules. Legend of the Nazionale, Zoff clearly mentioned four names, including his own! Four guards, including Schmeichel and Lama, chose to … abstain.
Seven votes for Buffon, five for Yachine
In total, seven guards named Buffon’s name against five for Lev Yachine, the legendary Soviet porter. “Buffon marked an era, greeted the Uruguayan Fernando Muslera. In my worst moments, he always had a few words of motivation for me.”
The duel was very close between the ephemeral goalkeeper of PSG and Yachine. If the Italian won the World Cup (in 2006) which has always escaped the Soviet, the latter is the only goalkeeper in history to have received the Ballon d’Or, in 1963.
A heavyweight trophy. “Is Buffon the best of all time? The Ballon d’Or (Yachine) is too important, it makes the difference,” said former Mexican goalkeeper Jorge Campos. Some have therefore chosen to … not to choose, like Manuel Neuer, who voted for Buffon and Yachine.
The time of retirement is approaching for Buffon, who will turn 43 on January 28. Number 2 behind Wojciech Szczesny at Juventus, he has only made five appearances this season.
“I wonder why he continues”, wonders even Bernard Lama. The Italian may be hoping to finally win the Champions League, the only title missing from his record.
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