Buffon, This 43-year-old Goalkeeper Returns To Parma, Rejects Barcelona And Opens The Chance To Play In The 2022 World Cup As The Oldest Player?

Gianluigi Buffon. (Photo: Instagram @gianluigibuffon)

JAKARTA - Gianluigi Buffon has officially returned to Parma. The 43-year-old goalkeeper has signed a two-year contract at the club where he played as a teenager and is determined to bring Parma back to Serie A.

Citing Italian Football, Tuesday, June 23, Buffon turned down an offer from a club like Barcelona to play at Parma. The Blaugrana offered Buffon to be a back-up for Marc Andre Ter Stegen.

"I had two chances, to win the Champions League, but not as a protagonist. I have accepted a substitute role at Juventus because of the strong bonds and friendships I have with everyone there, but I didn't really want to do it again over the last two years this," said Buffon.

Yes, Buffon really covets the Champions League trophy. That's the only title that Buffon has not been able to achieve to date.

Buffon had moved to Paris Saint Germain (PSG) in the 2018-19 season. In the previous season, he rarely appeared as the main goalkeeper, competing with Wojciech Szczesny.

At PSG, Buffon hopes to bring the club to the Champions League title. But what power, they lost to Manchester United in the last 16 phase.

He also returned to Juventus the following season (2019-20). Two seasons at La Vecchia Signora, but Buffon never won the Champions League title.

Target is too optimistic but still realistic

Maybe not Buffon's destiny in the highest caste competition between European clubs. Three times (2002-03, 2014-15, 2016-17), he has brought Juventus to the Champions League final, but always failed.

At the age that is approaching the end of his career, Buffon is self-aware, and better set another target. Moving to Parma was the right thing and the most realistic.

"I have many memories, above all the motivation and hope was to write a few more important pages in the history book of this club, and I knew I could do it," said Buffon.

"That's the main reason I came back here, along with 999 other reasons! I feel such strong emotions because emotional reactions are the only way to keep performing at this level at my age."

With his maturity and experience of playing at the highest level for decades, Buffon is predicted to be the first choice at Parma. Playing regularly and showing his best abilities, he hopes to be part of the Italian National Team (Timnas) in the upcoming 2022 World Cup.

Granted, that looks too optimistic and Buffon admits that. Because according to him, the most important part is ending his career at Parma at the age of 45 in the next two years.

"There's an Italian national team project that's going very well right now, so I don't want to interfere with that in any way. I'm a dreamer and a very optimistic person, so of course, playing in another World Cup would be a great goal, but my goal is to reach June 2023 in good shape," explained Buffon.

Buffon already has 176 senior caps for the Azzurri. He had won the World Cup with the Italian national team in 2006 ago.