Buffon praises Juve effort to clean up image

Juventus's season in the Serie B, Italy's dejection at losing their bid to host Euro 2012 and the 2006-2007 Champions League were among the topics discussed by Italy's no.1 goalkeeper Gianluigi Buffon during a question-and-answer session with members of the local media at the Radisson SAS Baypoint, St Julian's yesterday.

The renowned Juventus goalkeeper yesterday paid a fleeting visit to Malta to help promote the cause of Puttinu Cares Children's Cancer Support Group, who held their third football marathon at the Marsa Sports Ground over the weekend.

Dressed casually, a relaxed Buffon dealt with all the questions put to him with refreshing honesty.

"Juventus have made a bold effort to clear the shadows and skeletons left by the unsavoury events of last summer," Buffon replied to a question about his team's participation in the Serie B this season.

The Bianconeri were demoted to the second division, hit by a nine-point penalty and stripped of their last two league titles for their part in the match-fixing scandal that rocked Italian football last summer.

"The club took it upon itself to set up a new structure composed of new individuals to present a new image of Juventus, one that is more pleasing in the eyes of the general public as well as the sporting world," Buffon added.

"If Juventus manage to stay on the winning trail on the football field as well as gaining sympathy, that would be the maximum but history says it is not possible to achieve both."

Invited to spell out his favourite team for Champions League success this season, Buffon said: "The four teams in the semi-finals (Milan, Manchester United, Liverpool and Chelsea) are all strong but I think Liverpool are the most focused on winning this competition."

On a personal note, Buffon insisted that his love for the game has not been tarnished by the trials and tribulations of last summer's match-fixing shake-up.

"My love for football has not been sullied by what happened last summer," the 29-year-old Buffon said. "I still have the same enthusiasm for the game I had when I was a boy."

Buffon spoke warmly about the thousands of Juventus fans in Malta.

"For the past four or five years, the Juve club in Malta have been asking me to visit the country and here I am," Buffon said. "I know that Juve have a huge following in Malta and the presence of Maltese fans during matches makes us more aware of the prestige of playing for a club like Juventus."

Asked if he was prepared to help the bid of the local Juve supporters' club (Juve Club Vero Amore) to entice the whole squad to visit Malta, Buffon said: "It's not my task to bring the team over to Malta but if they seek my advice, I would certainly speak positively about Malta."

Despite endless speculation linking him with a move away from Juventus last summer, Buffon decided to stay with the club and help them regain their Serie A status.

His loyalty to the Turin giants sheds a positive light on Buffon's reputation as a man of sound principles.

"It was a difficult situation but my decision to stay with Juventus was inspired by my beliefs and principles," Buffon said.

Euro 2012 upset

Like most of his fellow countrymen, Buffon is gutted about Italy's failure to win the right to organise Euro 2012.

"It was a big let-down," Buffon commented. "As a player, I really wished to take part in a European Championship in my home country, especially as Euro 2012 is likely to be one of the last major competitions of my career.

"I was very disappointed to hear that Italy had lost. In the days preceding UEFA's decision on the host of Euro 2012, the general feeling in the country was that Italy had already won the race.

"I think we were somewhat presumptuous in believing that Italy were going to prevail," Buffon remarked.

"In the end, the events that marred Italian football in the past 12 months had a bearing on the outcome of the vote."

A prominent figure in Italy's march to World Cup glory in Germany last year, Buffon believes that the Azzurri's Euro 2008 qualification bid is back on track after a stuttering start.

"I think we have regained momentum," Buffon said. "We have rediscovered the traits that helped us win the World Cup, namely that sense of forming part of a robust squad where all the players have a great will to succeed.

"After the World Cup, we looked jaded in our opening two Euro 2008 qualifiers where we drew at home to Lithuania and lost heavily to France.

"The home draw to Lithuania complicated our path to qualification but we have made up lost ground with three victories on the trot."

Italy are second in Group B on 10 points, two behind joint-leaders Ukraine, Scotland and France.