by Forza Italia!Forza Milan! Mon Mar 09, 2009 10:11 pm
Buffon explains ambition behind City snub
By Kevin Palmer
(Archive)
March 9, 2009
He was one of the names at the top of Manchester City's wanted list as they plotted world domination with their Arab millions in the January transfer window, yet goalkeeper Gigi Buffon clearly sees his Champions League future at Juventus.
Gigi Buffon
PhilCole/GettyImages
Gigi Buffon: Money no motivator
While Brazilian superstar Robinho was prepared to accept the vast riches on offer at Manchester's 'other' club last summer, Buffon believes the time would not be right for him to join the stuttering City revolution as he predicts their rise from minnows to giants will take longer than their owners expect.
As he prepares to play a showpiece Champions League tie against Chelsea on Tuesday night, Buffon admits that while he was dazed by the vast sums of cash being floated over his head as rumours of a mega money offer continued to fill the column inches in both Italy and England, a deal was never close to being completed.
Buffon claims he may be tempted to play his football in the Premier League at some point before hangs up his well-worn gloves, but the notion of joining a club some way off challenging for a Champions League place clearly did not appeal. Evidently, this highly respected 31-year-old stopper is determined to extend his career at the very top of the game for as long as possible and he sees Juventus as the destination for him achieve that aim.
"The speculation and the figures surrounding the Manchester City story had my head spinning," begins Buffon. "I don't think it was ever realistic. Kaka was supposed to be coming for ¬150m, me for ¬100m. It was surreal, very difficult to come to terms with as the money being talked about had never been heard of before.
"Still, I believe the idea of instant team building is light years away from reality. The new owners at Manchester City think they can spend today and play in the Champions League tomorrow. Unfortunately it doesn't work like this and whether they like it or not, their club will need at least three or fours years to put themselves in a position to qualify for the Champions League.
"Top players are looking for a situation where they are almost guaranteed Champions League football every season and no one is going to take the risk of moving to mid-table club, even if they are very rich. I wish Manchester City well, but feel happy at Juventus.
"Despite this, the Premier League is clearly an attractive prospect for any player. Serie A used to be the best championship in Europe, but this honour belongs to the English now because their economic power is so impressive and the league is also so exciting to watch.
"It's too easy to say the Premier League is all about high tempo, long balls and rough challenges as there is a lot of variety in the game there. You have the beautiful football of Arsenal and Manchester United and then the power game of Chelsea and Liverpool, who often play like an old-style counter-attacking Italian team.
"The English league has become more cosmopolitan than anyone there would have imagined 20 years ago. Foreign stars have brought with them technical ability and coaches have come in from abroad with a different tactical culture. It's a great league."
Buffon's lack of interest in selling his soul to the Manchester City project suggests his ambition to achieve success in the game burns brightly and even though he has claimed most of the top honours, his passion to snare the Champions League prize that has so far eluded him burns brightly.
Petr Cech, Gigi Buffon
DarrenWalsh/GettyImages
Chelsea stopper Petr Cech has a joke with Buffon before the first leg in London
Juventus go into the second leg of their Champions League tie with Chelsea looking to reverse a 1-0 first leg deficit and Buffon believes their revived opponents are far from unbeatable on what is bound to be a drama filled night in Turin.
"I always try to see the plus points in any situation," he continues. "I'm not one of those who says the important part of sport is the taking part. I'm there to win and so are my team-mates and as we are only one goal adrift, we can turn things around in Turin.
"A clean-sheet is essential for us to have a chance. If we concede then it will be difficult for us, but I'm confident we'll score at home. We have proved time and time again that we can find a way through the tightest, highest-rated defence, though it will not be easy to get through Chelsea.
"Everyone understands we have to overcome one of the best teams in Europe. Even before Roman Abramovich bought the club, Chelsea were proving themselves a team with a winning mentality. In terms of defensive organisation and tactical discipline, they are among the best around and you must have this solidity to do well in the Champions League, where mistakes are always punished.
"Chelsea are a powerful side. They have the goals in midfield of Michael Ballack and Frank Lampard and Didier Drogba's power is always a threat up front. We had heard he had lost his hunger and that he was working to get away from Chelsea. It didn't look like it against us."
Drogba's improved attitude is clearly a threat Juventus are treating with respect and Buffon is also full of praise for Chelsea's new, temporary coach, Guus Hiddink.
"I knew, for sure, we were in for a much tougher time when Hiddink was appointed," adds Buffon. "Before the change I saw Chelsea struggling in the Premier League and made the mistake of saying that this was possibly the weakest Chelsea side of the last five years.
"Hiddink is too shrewd and too experienced not to make a difference and straight away he identified where Scolari had gone wrong. Chelsea were losing and drawing, but now they're winning with a tight defence and single goals. Hiddink is a great at making a team function better as a collective unit.
"I see Chelsea as being a little like Inter in Serie A. Not so pretty to watch but always in with a chance of winning because of their physicality, directness and spirit. And obviously they have been given some new direction by their coach."
Gigi Buffon was determined to reject the life-changing fortunes on offer from Manchester City to take part in games like this. After collecting a Champions League runners-up medal in 2003, he is desperate to secure the top prize five years on.
soccernet
, knew he played in midfield for the U-20's, but didn't know hughs, played him there
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