Fansided

The 5 moments that cemented Gianluigi Buffon as the best goalkeeper ever

By Clemente Lisi

Turin, ITALY: Juventus' goalkeeper Gianluigi Buffon gestures before a Serie B match vs Bologna at Olympic Stadium in Turin, 12 May 2007. AFP PHOTO / GIUSEPPE CACACE (Photo credit should read GIUSEPPE CACACE/AFP/Getty Images)
Turin, ITALY: Juventus' goalkeeper Gianluigi Buffon gestures before a Serie B match vs Bologna at Olympic Stadium in Turin, 12 May 2007. AFP PHOTO / GIUSEPPE CACACE (Photo credit should read GIUSEPPE CACACE/AFP/Getty Images) /
facebooktwitterreddit
Prev
3 of 6
Next
Gianluigi Buffon, Juventus goalkeeper (Photo by Tony Marshall/EMPICS via Getty Images)
Gianluigi Buffon, Juventus goalkeeper (Photo by Tony Marshall/EMPICS via Getty Images) /

Wins his first Serie A title in 2002

Buffon has won nine Serie A titles, all with Juventus, but one of the ones fans will remember most was the first one he helped the club win. It may also be, excluding the one from this past season, the most difficult one Buffon has ever won.

Juventus ended a three-year scudetto drought following a remarkable turnaround in fortunes during the final weeks of the season. On the final day of the season, Juventus won 2–0 away at Udinese with Buffon earning the clean sheet, while Inter fell at Lazio 4-2 after leading twice. Inter would finish third, while Roma jumped into second place following the defeat.

For Buffon, it was his first season at Juve (replacing Edwin van der Sar) and his performance that season confirmed what first-year manager Marcello Lippi wanted from the then-budding goalie.

Buffon played in 29 league games during the 2001-02 season, conceding just 22 goals over that span of time. Buffon, in the prime of his career, earned 17 shutouts that season and was a big reason why Juve were able to contend, and eventually take, for the title and take it from rival Inter’s grasp.

Home/Serie A