Milan: Italy legend Gianluigi Buffon eased some of his World Cup heartache by winning the Serie A ‘Best Player of the Year’ award at the Gran Gala del Calcio Awards Ceremony here, Monday night.
“The failure to participate in the World Cup is the biggest disappointment in my career together with some (lost) Champions league finals,” said the 39-year-old Juventus goalkeeper at the ceremony.
“I’m happy and proud though now. I never thought I’d get this kind of trophy, and I’ll hold on tight to it because I’ve never won best youngster!”
Buffon quit international football last month as four- time champions Italy sensationally missed out on their first World Cup finals in 60 years after a play-off defeat to Sweden. However, the goalkeeper indicated that he may don the Italian colours again if the country want him to do so.
“Italy-Sweden was the biggest disappointment of my life,” he told reporters. “But we need to move on, the season must end in the best way and with Juventus there are so many goals to be achieved.”
Buffon won a 10 Serie A title with Juventus, as well as a third Italian Cup title as well as helping the Turin side reach the Champions League final for the second time in three years.
“I’ve taken a period of rest, I’m getting on, I’ve always been a soldier signed up for the national side and Juventus, so I can’t desert. Even at the age of 60, if there was a dearth of goalkeepers I’d be available because that’s how I conceive the idea of a nation.”
Napoli’s Maurizio Sarri was named the best coach in the Italian football awards.
It is the sixth straight year that a Juventus player has won the award as he follows Andrea Pirlo (2012- 014), Carlos Tevez (2015) and Leonardo Bonucci (2016).
Agence France-Presse
