Over 22 years since a debut clean sheet against AC Milan, Gianluigi Buffon celebrates his 40th birthday this Sunday.
There may only be two clubs on the legendary goalkeeper s resume but sustained excellence over more than two decades has filled his trophy cabinet with individual and team honours.
The former Parma prodigy has rubbed shoulders with the very best in world football throughout that time, forming part of World Cup and Serie A-winning sides.
In honour of Buffon s special day, we have compiled a star-studded group of former team-mates for a dream XI.
He s back
— JuventusFC (@juventusfcen)
GOALKEEPER: GIANLUIGI BUFFON
Who else has the pedigree to don the gloves in such a side?
A f…
Liverpool boss Jurgen Klopp reiterated his support for Luis Diaz after the forward scored a stoppage-time equaliser which snatched a 1-1 draw at Luton.
Diaz missed Liverpool’s 3-0 win over Nottingham Forest last weekend after returning to Colombia following news that his parents had been kidnapped, but he returned to training this week and came off the bench to earn the Reds a point at Kenilworth Road.
The forward’s mother has been released but he is still waiting for news on his father. After scoring, Diaz lifted up his shirt to reveal a white T-shirt which read ‘libertad para papa’ – ‘freedom for my father’.
— Liverpool FC (@LFC)
Liverpool boss Klopp lauded the player after his header looped over Hatters goalkeeper Thomas Kami…
According to sources, Barcelona are set to activate the £108million release clause in the contract of Atletico Madrid forward Antoine Griezmann. The forward has already revealed that he will leave the club from the Spanish capital after a five-year stint. It seems that he will finally join Barcelona this summer.
Griezmann move to Barcelona almost inevitable
Last summer, Antoine Griezmann looked set to join the Catalan giants. However, instead, the French star decided to sign a new deal with Atletico. The move seemed a strange one on the part of the forward. It was a great act of loyalty to his club, though.
The previous summer, Griezmann had also been heavily linked with a move to the Nou Camp. It seems that the link just will not go away and Barcelona signing Griezm…
Raheem Sterling does not feel Manchester City will come under the same level of pressure as Liverpool during the Premier League title run-in.
City forward Sterling enjoyed a brilliant breakthrough campaign at Anfield in 2013-14, when Brendan Rodgers side launched a thrilling bid for Premier League glory.
They came up agonisingly short after Steven Gerrard s infamous slip against Chelsea and a surrendered 3-0 lead at Crystal Palace allowed Manuel Pellegrini s City to steal ahead during the final week of the campaign.
That was the closest Liverpool have come to ending a 28-year wait for their 19th English top-flight crown, while Sterling got his hands on a Premier League winners medal as he shone under Pep Guardiola last season.
That experience can be …
Atletico Madrid coach Diego Simeone is expecting tightly contested Europa League final against a Marseille side he believes possess similarities with the Rojiblancos.
Marseille needed extra-time to clinch progression to the final, beating Red Bull Salzburg 3-2 on aggregate in the semi-final, while Atletico earned a 1-1 draw against Arsenal in London before beating the Gunners 1-0 in the second leg to set up a clash with Rudi Garcia s men.
The showpiece in Lyon will be Marseille s first major European final since they were beaten 2-0 by Valencia in the UEFA Cup in 2004, and since then Atletico have won the competition twice and played in two Champions League finals.
Nevertheless, Simeone is anticipating a close game, telling reporters: It s going to be a compe…