Parma, Fabio Pecchia doesn’t rush Gianluigi Buffon

A momentous decision is well worth some waiting.

Gianluigi Buffon between retirement and Parma. So much so that the coach of the ducali, Fabio Pecchia, has hinted that both hypotheses are still on the table. But that neither he nor the club have any intention of rushing the goalkeeper, who precisely in Emilia began a career that later continued for as many as 28 seasons.

“Parma is his home, here he grew up and always here he decided to return,” Pecchia recalled to the microphones of ‘Sky Sport.’ “I have a deep respect for his silence, and whatever decision he makes will be of great depth. Buffon is a heritage in the history of Italian soccer and whatever he will do, he will do in great style.”

On the prospects of the new Parma, Pecchia chose a low profile: “It does not seem right to name names. We are in a construction phase, so we need to keep our antennae straight on the market. We are vigilant to reinforce ourselves with balance, and players to complete the various departments. Many of our young talents have requests, but the club has decided to retain them because the project needs continuity.”

Buffon has a contract with Parma valid for another year and a 15 million euro salary, but he may well decide to hang up his gloves. Unless the alleged offer from Saudi Arabia with a salary double his current one pushes him to continue.

Buffon is one of those goalkeepers who have made history in Italian soccer. Always divided between Parma and Juventus, with a brief spell at Paris Saint-Germain in 2018-2019, he has won 10 scudetti with the Bianconeri jersey, and that’s a record, but two other records he holds are the number of appearances in Serie A, 657, and in the national team, 176, with which he won the world title in 2006 and came close to success at the 2012 European Championships, won by Spain in the final against the Azzurri.