Gianluigi Buffon is the first to kept clean sheets in four decades

Gianluigi Buffon is currently 42 and still plays the occasional game for Juventus. The legendary goalkeeper started for Juventus' recent league fixture against Parma and managed to keep a clean…

By Arsh Das

December 21, 2020

2 min read

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Gianluigi Buffon is currently 42 and still plays the occasional game for Juventus. The legendary goalkeeper started for Juventus’ recent league fixture against Parma and managed to keep a clean sheet while the outfield players managed to score four goals against the hosts.

With his clean sheet away from home, the Italian shot-stopper managed to keep a clean sheet in four different decades, starting from 1990-2020.

1990s ✅
2000s ✅
2010s ✅
2020s ✅

Gianluigi Buffon is the first goalkeeper to keep a UCL clean sheet in four decades 🧤🇮🇹

(h/t @RichJolly) pic.twitter.com/sdWTFSXJEw
— ESPN FC (@ESPNFC) December 10, 2020

Buffon came through the ranks at the Parma academy and stayed with the club until the turn of the century. In 2001, Buffon managed to earn a move to Juventus for a stunning fee worth €52.88 million.

After spending 17 glorious years playing for the Turin club, Buffon spent a year at Paris Saint-Germain before returning to his old club, Juventus for free. The 42-year-old has a contract with Juventus till the end of the ongoing season, and still looks in incredible shape and regularly challenges Szczesny for a place between the sticks.

Moreover, Buffon already has three clean sheets this season, from five appearances in goal. He has managed to win 10 Serie A titles throughout his career, all with Juventus, and could possibly win another by the time the current season reaches its conclusion.

The iconic shot-stopper has managed to win every single trophy available to a player in a club, with league titles in two different nations, League cups and the UEFA Cup as well. The Italian was between the sticks for Italy’s 2006 World Cup victory and was one of their best players throughout the tournament.

However, despite all those victories and trophies in big games, Buffon has fallen short of the Champions League trophy throughout his 36-year long career with, of which, 19 have been closer to the top tier of European competition with Juventus and PSG than Parma.

The legend has come mighty close to the trophy, making it as far as to the final, but has fallen short on multiple occasions and seems hell-bent to get his hands on the trophy before, or if he ever retires.