Football
Ben Gladwell, Italy correspondent 7y

Gianluigi Buffon jokes about retiring with Zinedine Zidane-style headbutt

Italy captain Gianluigi Buffon has joked that he may decide to finish his career with a headbutt like Zinedine Zidane did, as he prepares to make his 1,000th appearance on Friday.

Juventus goalkeeper Buffon, 39, will reach the milestone when he plays for Italy against Albania in Palermo, and three points are the objective as he aims to end his career with another shot at World Cup glory.

Buffon has previously hinted that he will retire after next year's World Cup, but speaking to Sky Sport Italia, he left a door open to extending his international career, while also joking that he could exit the stage in similar fashion to how Zidane bowed out with a headbutt on Marco Materazzi in the 2006 World Cup final.

"I don't even know if I'll retire after next year's World Cup," he said. "Of course I have objectives, but there are no certainties. Maybe I could even end my career with a headbutt like Zidane did. I could nut somebody -- who knows. I need to search deep within myself and work out how I feel. You can never say never, though.

"It's gratifying to hear compliments and niceties from people I know and people I don't. I'll have time to think about how I will spend my time [after retiring], but I'm not a melancholic who only thinks of the past, nor am I somebody who forgets everything. I just like to live the present serenely and now I'm thinking about this game, then I will decide what comes next later."

When Buffon does decide to step aside, he is confident Italy will be in safe hands with either Gianluigi Donnarumma or Alex Meret in line to succeed him.

"If you add their ages together, they don't even add up to mine," Buffon said. "I'm happy and proud to be here with them, to watch them grow and seeing the great potential that they have leaves me relaxed because I know that Italy are not going to have any problem replacing me in future."

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