The Exact Moment Gianluigi Buffon Considered Retirement After Playing Against One Player

Gianluigi Buffon has admitted that he considered retirement after he came up against one player in Serie A.

The 40-year-old Italian shot-stopper left Juventus in the summer for Paris Saint-Germain, ending his 17-year-long stint with the Old Lady in style.

During his time in the Italian league, though, Buffon played alongside Enrico Chiesa at Parma.

Interestingly, the former Juventus star came up against Chiesa's son, Federico, on his Serie A debut for Fiorentina in 2016.

At the age of 18, Federico left the PSG 'keeper considering whether it was time to end his career.

"The first time I faced Chiesa, I was disoriented," he told Eurosport.

"It was my first time playing against the son of a former teammates and I thought it might be time to retire.

"However, I've taken on a few now and consider it a gift from life, something to be happy about."

Football Italia has pointed out a fun fact, too: the former Italy international has also played against Marcus Thuram, who is the son of former Juventus teammate Lilian Thuram.

Last month, the World Cup winner said that his move to the Parc des Princes was not motivated by money.

"There's always a bit of envy, which is human," he told Corriere della Sera (via Goal).

"The first thing is not to be impacted by the judgements and ideas of others. I would never prostitute my ideals and dreams for money. If I was going to do that, then I would've done it a long time ago.

"Money is important -- it's a means to living better, but I am not shallow. They [critics] thought I was a madman, or a statue just without the pigeons.

"But my enthusiasm makes me young, and if I want to keep playing I cannot be like an old grandpa.

"Sometimes I am dafter than a 20-year-old and people don't consider my age. I am very proud to be at PSG.

"Receiving an offer from a club like this brings great satisfaction. I always gave my best -- I am sure I have behaved well and life has rewarded me with this bonus."

Should Buffon have stayed at Juventus?

Let us know in the comments.

Featured Image Credit: PA

Topics: Football News, Paris Saint-Germain, Football, Serie A, PSG, Gianluigi Buffon, old lady, Juventus, Federico Chiesa

Adnan Riaz

Adnan Riaz is a journalist for SPORTbible. He studied for a B.A. in History at the University of York and followed it up with an M.A. in Multimedia Journalism at MMU. Before he started writing about sports, he spent over four years in the gaming press. He has worked for several publications, including Hardcore Gamer, LADbible and the Manchester Evening News. Follow him on Twitter to find out what he is working on next. Got a story tip for Adnan? Email him: [email protected]

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