Legendary Italian goalkeeper Gianluigi Buffon explained why in 2006 he agreed to stay at Juventus and play in Serie B, despite the possibility of moving to any top club in Europe.
“In a world full of words, it was an opportunity to teach a lesson to those who really love football. Such a lesson can be taught only when you are the first to give up something important. And I gave up a lot of things. I was 28 years old, in the prime of my career, I had just won the World Cup and by agreeing to play in Serie B, I became the player who turned down the Ballon d’Or.
My decision to stay was an opportunity to send a strong message to all the kids who live football. If I had done it differently, a lot would have changed. But then I was sure: if you do the right thing and with respect for others, life will return everything,” said Buffon.
