Relegation key to Buffon's choice

Juventus and Italy goalkeeper Gianluigi Buffon has admitted he is only staying at the club because they were relegated to Serie B this summer.

Unlike Fabio Cannavaro, Emerson, Lilian Thuram, Patrick Vieira and Gianluca Zambrotta, who all jumped ship when the verdicts of the match-fixing trial were announced, Buffon believes the club’s fate persuaded him to stay.

“I wanted a change of scenery, which I think is natural after 5 or 6 years in the same place, but I cannot leave Juventus when they are down,” he told La Repubblica newspaper.

“I can find the new motivation from playing at a different level.”

Had Juventus not been penalised in the match-fixing scandal, Buffon would likely be wearing the Rossonero of AC Milan this season, but the World Cup winner revealed he never demanded to leave the club in their time of need.

Although playing for Milan would have been a dream for him, the well-being of Juve was of utmost importance.

He said: “I told the club: 'If you have got to sell me, then do so, but if you want me to stay, I will stay'.

“Above all, it was to show my recognition to the club, to the family which runs it and to the fans.”

Buffon made his first appearance post-World Cup in Juve’s 3-0 win over Martina Franca in the first round of the Coppa Italia, already a new adventure for a man in a club which is not used to entering the competition until the fourth round.

On Wednesday night, that run continues in Cesena in the second round of the Italian Cup.