Buffon lauds UCL performances and expresses optimism for future

Fresh off a momentous appearance that made him the second oldest player to ever feature in a Champions League game, Gianluigi Buffon talked about Juventus and the duel with Inter in Serie A (Inter was eliminated in Europe) to Tuttosport: “It does not change all that much for us, if we are able to have the mind-set and humility we showed in Leverusen. If instead we are complacent and superficial in easier matches, starting with myself, then we are at risk. We had to provide some answers in that match, as a group, to see if we really wanted to achieve certain goals. In order to get to those, you need quality and experience, but also a tight squad that is able to suffer in some moments of the game.”

“In Germany, the brightest examples of that were Cristiano Ronaldo and Gonzalo Higuain, because in the first half there were some minutes where they could not dawdle and they started tracking back to defend. It was a powerful spark of energy and adrenaline for everybody.”

“I talk to Cristiano often: he must always be aware of what he is for us since he is a super champion, he can be a deciding factor as an example. If he leads the way, we can become a team that is 100 time stronger. He was unique in the Leverkusen match and gave me chills. If the youngsters see a 34-year-old do certain things, then they imitate him. That is why I thanked him and Higuain.”

On Ronaldo leaving early in the Milan game: “We are grown-ups, we do not need apologies. I just want us to take the pitch and show there what we are capable of. This is the most important signal a team can send.”

On Juventus playing better in Champions League: “It is easily explainable, when you are several champions the preparation for some matches is different and sometimes you pay the price for that. We did that against Lazio even though it was our best performance in a while. We were punished by the episodes, which were the consequences of the risks we have been taking recently. It happened when we least expected it.”

“We are in a year where the sky is the limit for us, provided we convince ourselves that, in order to obtain what we want, we need to put all our quality, enthusiasm and spirit of sacrifice into it, stay tight when we will toil. Different matches have diverse motivations, but we have to find consistency no matter what.”

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