Gianluigi Buffon Leaves PSG After One Year

Gianluigi Buffon in the 2018 world cup
Gianluigi Buffon in the 2018 world cup. Photo by Matt McNulty/JMP/REX/Shutterstock (9475042o)

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.

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🇮🇹 Ernest Hemingway ha scritto che “ci sono solo due posti al mondo dove possiamo vivere felicemente: a casa e a Parigi”. Da oggi per me queste due cose un po’ coincideranno. Parigi, a suo modo, sarà per sempre anche un po’ casa. Grazie per ciò che ho avuto la possibilità di vivere. Grazie per l’accoglienza, le emozioni e le fatiche vissute assieme. Uno vicino all’altro. Compagni di lavoro, di squadra e di viaggio. 12 mesi fa sono arrivato pieno di entusiasmo, accolto dall’incredibile calore dei tifosi. Mi avete commosso. Grazie ancora con tutto il cuore. Riparto più ricco e soddisfatto di un’esperienza che mi ha certamente migliorato e fatto crescere ulteriormente. Oggi si conclude questa mia avventura fuori dall’Italia: il @psg mi ha proposto un rinnovo di contratto che non mi sono sentito di accettare spinto dal desiderio di prepararmi a nuove esperienze umane e nuove sfide professionali. Ringrazio il Presidente Nasser, i dirigenti e tutti i miei compagni di squadra che mi hanno regalato tanti giorni di spensierata giovinezza. Vi auguro il meglio convinto che continuerete a scrivere insieme le pagine di questa importante storia. Allez Paris! Merci e bonne chance pour tout! 🇫🇷 Ernest Hemingway écrit qu’il n’y a que deux endroits au monde où l’on puisse vivre heureux : chez soi et à Paris. Depuis aujourd’hui, ça vaudra pour moi aussi. Paris, en quelque manière, sera toujours un peu chez moi. Merci pour tout ce que j’ai eu la possibilité de vivre. Merci pour l’accueil, les émotions et les fatigues éprouvées ensemble. L’un à côté de l’autre. Compagnons de travail, d’équipe et de voyage. Il y a 12 mois j’arrivais plein d’enthousiasme, accueilli par l’incroyable chaleur des supporters. C’était vraiment émouvant. Merci, encore une fois, de tout mon cœur. Je repars enrichi et satisfait par une expérience qui sans doute m’a amélioré et m’a fait croître. Aujourd’hui se termine mon aventure hors de l’Italie : le Paris Saint-Germain m’a proposé de renouveler mon contrat mais je ne me suis pas senti d’accepter, poussé par le désir d’affronter des nouvelles expériences…

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Harley loves music and tries to go to a music festival every summer. When he's not listening to music, he writes about movies, food and wine, art, and sport.