Gianluigi Buffon

Number One

Italy's keeper Gianluigi Buffon saves the ball in front of Norway's Morten Gamst Pedersen and Erik Hagen (below) during their World Cup group five qualifying soccer match in Oslo June 4 2005. AFP photo Tor Richardsen / SCANPIX

Italy goalkeeper Gianluigi Buffon was a Serie A regular at 18, an international at 20 and could one day be remembered alongside such greats as Lev Yashin and Gordon Banks.

The late Juventus president Gianni Agnelli forked out 40 million euros to take the then 23-year-old to Turin in July 2001 and credited Buffon's performances as key to their championship trophy in his first season.

His celebrated reflexes helped Juve to a second consecutive title a year later, but despite two penalty shoot-out saves in the Champions League final, he was unable to prevent AC Milan winning Europe's most prestigious prize in 2003.

He is a colourful and outspoken man who claims to have taken to goalkeeping due to his distaste for running.

Prodigy

Italian national soccer team goalkeeper Gianluigi Buffon catches the ball during a training session at the Sendai Stadium, 25 May 2002. Italy is grouped with Ecuador, Croatia and Mexico in the 2002 FIFA World Cup first round. AFP PHOTO GERARD JULIEN

Born in Carrara, Italy on Junuary 28, 1978 he is the nephew of one-time Italy and AC Milan 'keeper Lorenzo Buffon and made his full Italian League debut for Parma in November 1995 in a 0-0 draw with AC Milan.

By the following season he had displaced Italy international Luca Bucci in the Parma goal, where he was to make some 168 league appearances.

With Parma he won the Uefa Cup and Italian Cup in 1999, but his ambitions dictated a move to a larger club in the form of Juventus, where he immediately reaped the dividends of two league titles.

Thumbs up

Buffon made his debut for Italy in a 1998 World Cup qualifying play-off against Russia when Gianluca Pagliuca had to go off injured. He made Cesare Maldini's squad that reached the quarter-finals in France, but never got off the subs bench.

Italian goalkeeper Gianluigi Buffon (R) dives to block a penalty try by South Korean midfielder Ahn Jung-hwan (L) early in their second round match at the 2002 FIFA World Cup Korea/Japan in Daejeon, 18 June 2002. Buffon blocked the kick and the game remains 0-0 early in the first half. The winner will meet Spain in the quarter-finals 22 June in Gwangju. AFP PHOTO/CHOI JAE-KU

He established himself as Italy number one under the great Dino Zoff during Euro 2000 qualifying, but missed the finals with a broken thumb that left the door open for Francesco Toldo of Inter Milan to shine as they made the final.

Nevertheless, he was back in goal for the 2002 World Cup and coach Giovanni Trapattoni still preferred him to Toldo, perhaps because of his brilliant one-on-one ability, penalty stops and lightening reflexes.

Mistaken identity

He has had his fair share of trouble. After requesting the number 88 shirt at Parma, anti-racists said it was in reference to the eighth letter of the alphabet and stood for 'Heil Hitler'.

Buffon said he just liked the number.

Italian goalkeeper Gianluigi Buffon looks dejected, 22 June 2004 at Henriques stadium in Guimaraes, at the end of the Euro 2004 group C football match between Italy and Bulgaria at the European Nations championship in Portugal. Bulgaria lost the game 2 to 1and his kicked out of the competition. AFP PHOTO Miguel RIOPA

He also claims to have been ordered from his Porsche and beaten by police after being mistaken for a hooligan on the way home from an Italian Cup final.

Italy had a nightmare at Euro 2004 going out in the first round although Buffon could not be faulted. A 2-2 draw between group rivals Denmark and Sweden meant elimination for Italy and convenient qualification for the Scandinavian neighbors.

He suffered a serious shoulder injury in the pre-seaon friendly against AC Milan ahead of the 2005-2006 campaign and was sidelined for several months.

On the bright side he is also known for his social work and was voted the Champions League's Most Valuable Player in 2002-2003 at the European Football Awards in Monaco.