Gianluigi Buffon is ending his stint with Paris
Saint-Germain after just one year. After weeks of speculation, PSG officially
confirmed Buffon’s departure on Wednesday and thanked the player for his contributions
to the team.
“I will never forget the pride that everyone at Paris
Saint-Germain, both the club and the fans, felt when they saw Gianluigi Buffon
wearing our jersey.” – said PSG’s chairman and CEO Al-Khelaifi in a
statement.
“‘Gigi’ will forever remain among the football giants who have worn the Paris Saint-Germain colors and shared the values of the club. We will be honored to welcome him again next year, along with other former players, to celebrate the 50th anniversary of our club.”
Gianluigi Buffon joined PSG last summer after playing his
entire soccer career in Serie A. His lone season in Paris was filled with ups
and downs, as he managed to won the Ligue 1 title with the team, but failed to
advance past round of 16 in UEFA Champions League.
“Twelve months ago, I arrived at Paris Saint-Germain
filled with enthusiasm, welcomed by the incredible warmth of the fans. It was
really moving.” – said Buffon in a statement. “Thank you, once again,
from the bottom of my heart. I leave happy to have enjoyed this experience
which has undoubtedly helped me to grow.”
Despite being 41 years old, Buffon isn’t thinking about retirement. Instead, as he hinted in a recent Instagram post, he is heading back to Seria A. Reportedly, he could join Parma, where he started his professional career.