|
Juventus coach Massimiliano Allegri has paid tribute to Gianluigi Buffon after his performance helped the club to a 1-0 Champions League win over Lyon on Tuesday. Buffon, 38, made a string of crucial saves, including denying Alexandre Lacazette from the penalty spot, before Juan Cuadrado's late strike kept the Bianconeri on course for a place in the knockout rounds of the competition. The Italy captain's impressive display came just 24 hours after he had vowed to silence his critics following recent criticism of his performances. "Gigi doesn't need defending by anybody -- he's different to everybody else because all he can do when criticised is smile," Allegri is quoted as saying by Gazzetta dello Sport. Buffon said on Tuesday how his critics were preparing his funeral, and he added after the Lyon win: "They can go to my funeral, but they won't find anybody there. I was never hurt by the criticism because I know that I am already very self-critical. "There are times when people are disrespectful to people and their careers. I hear lots of stupid things and only a few correct words -- that more should be expected from Buffon." Juve general manager Beppe Marotta also applauded his club's No. 1. "Buffon, aside from being a great footballer and a great athlete, is a great man," he told Swiss TV channel RSI. "He's very intelligent with how he manages the minor and very rare criticism which has been levelled at him over the course of an extraordinary career. "That is why the best metaphor he could have is that of a blank sheet of paper which represents his beautiful career, with just a small black dot representing a few injuries he has had. You can't criticise an icon like him."
|
