Gianluigi Buffon has revealed that he will leave Juventus at the end of the 2017-18 season.
Saturday’s Serie A clash with Verona will prove to be Buffon’s final match for the Italian giants, although the 40-year-old has not confirmed whether he will be retiring from professional football.
“Saturday will be my last match with Juventus and I believe it will be the best way to conclude this adventure,” Buffon told reporters.
“My fear was to get to the end as a player with a broken engine but it’s not like this. I’m proud that up to 40-years-of-age I’ve tried to express top performances up to expectations and Juventus’ name.
“On Saturday I will play a match and this is the only thing that is certain. Then I will have a continuous dialogue with the president and he is aware of what’s going on around me. I would like to rely on his advice support and suggestions.
“15 days ago it was known I wanted to stop playing football but now some proposals on and off the pitch have arrived and one of them, off the pitch, came from Andrea (Agnelli, Juventus’ President). I will decide next week to follow my spirit.”
Buffon captained Juventus to a seventh straight Serie A title and fourth successive Coppa Italia this term, and will make his 640th and final Serie A appearance this weekend.
The 176-time Italy international has only ever represented two clubs during a glittering career – spending six years in the Parma first team before transferring to Juventus.
Liverpool are believed to be considering a move for Buffon, who was controversially sent off in the latter stages of Juventus’ Champions League quarter-final defeat to Real Madrid last month.
Source: sportsmole