Former Juventus goalkeeper Gianluigi Buffon is enjoying the new format of the Club World Cup competition, which will bring 32 teams to the United States next summer.
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The new formula for the Club World Cup appeals to Gianluigi Buffon
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The competition will be held from June 14 to July 13
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His former team will be present in the United States
Considered one of the greatest goalkeepers of all time, Gianluigi Buffon played more than a thousand matches during a breathtaking career, which spanned 28 years.
If the 2006 world champion collected titles with Juventus, he never failed to distinguish himself on an individual level as well. There is no doubt that The Best – FIFA Goalkeeper award won in 2017 ranks high in his awards cabinet.
“This new competition will, I think, push clubs and players to give the best of themselves to try to win this trophy,” explains the former Italian international, interviewed by FIFA. “It’s a very good thing. As we have seen in the past, Football sometimes has to renew itself, find ideas that no one had thought of. As far as I am concerned, I think this Club World Cup is an excellent innovation. »
Faced with such enthusiasm, we cannot help but wonder if Buffon would have liked to participate in this inaugural edition. In a joking tone, the young 46-year-old retiree assures that the hypothesis cannot be ruled out.
“Oh, yes! I would have liked that a lot,” replies the most capped player in the history of the Italian selection (176). “But it could well happen. Who knows? In any case, it wouldn’t surprise me! »
Two of his former clubs, Juventus and Paris Saint-Germain, will be among the 32 competitors in the running. Another heavyweight in the Italian Serie A, Inter Milan, will also be on the trip and, according to our interlocutor, the two transalpine teams are “highly motivated”.
In any case, the two Italian representatives inherited adversaries with very contrasting profiles. The Bianconeri will face Wydad, Al Ain and Manchester City, while the Nerazzurri will face River Plate, Urawa Red Diamonds and Monterrey.
Each of the eight groups offers its share of exciting posters and the supporters who will be present in the 12 host cities can already expect to witness memorable encounters. For Buffon, the choice of the United States as the host country of the competition adds a touch of prestige and glamor to this event.
“I believe there is no better place than the United States to promote such an event. It’s a good way to give visibility to this competition. Football culture has progressed a lot [aux États-Unis]. It is a sport that has gained popularity. »
“The Americans are much more competitive today because they now have many players in the big European clubs. We must also not forget that the United States is one of the great powers in world women’s football. I believe that all of this contributes to making Americans very ambitious when it comes to setting goals. »
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