When your name is Gianluigi Buffon, you have a lot to tell about his football career. Imagine instead, the former goalkeeper played his first matches when Diego Maradona had not yet retired (1995), and his last when Lamine Yamal was starting at Barça (2023). The Italian was an actor for almost three decades in the great history of football, and he decided to write a book about it, entitled Savedreleased last week.
The goalkeeper trained in Parma, who spent a season with PSG in 2018-2019, looks back on the notable sequences of his story in an interview with Guardian this Wednesday. It is in particular about an event that we will not soon forget in France: Zizou’s headbutt during the World Cup final won by Italy in 2006.
“Contradictory feelings”
At the time when there was no VAR, Buffon’s role was preponderant. Because the game had started again on the other side, and no one was watching what was happening in the Italian camp when Marco Materazzi found himself on the ground. The rest is told by Gigi:
« I was about fifteen meters away and heard the thud. If he had done this to anyone other than Materazzi, he would have knocked them out. The linesman saw nothing. I was the only witness. So I rushed towards the referee and his assistant to get their attention. Materazzi was on the ground, Zidane was motionless, I was protesting, and finally the match stopped. »
The referee, Horacio Elizondo, then consulted his assistants and, perhaps, the television cameras that filmed the scene, even though he was not supposed to do so. And decided to expel Zidane. Buffon admits today that he was “upset and torn by contradictory feelings” at that moment.
“I knew it was Zidane’s last match, and that he was one of the greatest players and one of the most elegant in the history of football,” he assures. “I was sorry it ended like that for him. » But, of course, how can you not react when you have witnessed this scene and are aware of what it can change on the outcome of a World Cup final.
Buffon, at fault for Zidane’s headbutt?
The ex-Juventus goalkeeper never spoke about it again with Zizou, even though they know each other well. “Out of respect,” he said. He is a champion who has won everything, but I believe that deep down, it was always a very painful moment. »
Our file on Zizou
On the other hand, Buffon is convinced deep down that his save a few minutes earlier on a powerful header from the number 10 of the Blues that many saw in it played a role in all that. “He was convinced he had scored, so he was frustrated,” certifies the Italian. Before slipping, in a joking tone: “Actually, it’s my fault. »
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