Gianluigi Buffon, legendary 40-year-old goalkeeper, confessed in his presentation as the new player of PSG that he arrives in the capital with "the enthusiasm of a kid," and clarified that winning the Champions League is not something that obsesses him.
"I arrive in Paris with the enthusiasm of a kid. The ID says one thing, but what's important is how one feels," said Gianluigi Buffon.
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In a crowded press room at the Parc des Princes stadium, Gianluigi Buffon rehearsed his first words in French in a brief introduction, closely followed by his current partner and two of his children, Louis Thomas and David Lee.
"I am very motivated. I feel a particular energy, maybe it's the atmosphere of Paris or the fans or the club, which has made an effort for me to come," he said in his first words in Voltaire's language.
In Italian, he reviewed the reasons that led him to work for the first time outside his country, and argued that he still feels physically and mentally fit to play football at the highest level.
"I am 40 years old, but I am in excellent physical and mental condition. I come to prove that I am a great goalkeeper, and I believe I will succeed," pointed out the new goalkeeper of PSG, who asserted that he has not been promised the starting position and that he will fight for it "as he always has."
The legendary goalkeeper downplayed the gray hair he sports and commented that football has changed a lot and has extended the careers of players.
"In our thirties, we find some who are still among the best in the world," he said, referring to Portuguese Cristiano Ronaldo and Argentine Lionel Messi.
"I don't know when I will retire. I don't ask myself that question because it creates negative things for me. The day I don't feel capable, I will retire," he said, and recalled that if he has been a starter in the Italian national team until the age of 40, it has not been by chance.
Winning a Champions League is the great blemish on Gianluigi Buffon's illustrious resume, as he was a finalist in 2003, 2015, and 2017. "I can contribute to PSG improving on the field and having the highest ambitions," he added.
Source: EFE