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
4 of 6
Next
Juventus’ Gianluigi Buffon saves at his near post (Photo by John Walton/EMPICS via Getty Images)
Juventus’ Gianluigi Buffon saves at his near post (Photo by John Walton/EMPICS via Getty Images) /

Confirms his status as the best in 2003

In 2003, Buffon continued to show the world how great he was. This was the year he consolidated his place among the best with a series of individual awards. This was a watershed year for Buffon as the accolades confirmed his status as one of the best at the position.

He received the Serie A Goalkeeper of the Year award for the fourth time and also became the only goalkeeper in history to win the now-defunct UEFA MVP (also known as the UEFA Club Footballer of the Year) award.

That was also the same year Buffon was named UEFA’s Best Goalkeeper of the Year and elected to the UEFA Team of the Year for the first time in his career. In a series of other firsts, Buffon also won the prestigious IFFHS World’s Best Goalkeeper for the first time in his career. He was nominated for the 2003 Ballon d’Or award, a prize goalkeepers never win, and finished ninth.

On the field, Buffon also made history. Juventus won the 2002-03 league title and were runners-up in the Champions League, losing to rivals AC Milan in a penalty-kick shootout in the first all-Italian final in the tournament’s history. That’s the closest Buffon has ever come to winning the Champions League.

Home/Serie A