Buffon: PSG departure biggest mistake – praise for coach Thomas Tuchel

“10 million euros abandoned”

Goalkeeper oldie Gianluigi Buffon bitterly regretted his early departure from PSG, also because he lost a lot of money as a result. On the other hand, the Italian found exuberant words in a panel discussion for coach Thomas Tuchel, whom he praised as exceptionally clever and sensitive.

“I’ve only met a few people who are so intelligent,” said the now 45-year-old, who played under Tuchel at Paris Saint-Germain in the 2018/19 season. Both came to Paris in the summer of 2018. The German coach is “extremely intelligent” and someone who manages to get a feeling for the cabin immediately, Buffon said as a guest of the football talk show “BoboTV” on the Twitch channel of former national player Christian Vieri.

“I’ve only rarely experienced something like this: He shows empathy, comes across as believable and sends out positive energy… wonderful,” enthused Buffon about Tuchel. The keeper returned to Italy after just one season at PSG and now plays for his youth club Parma Calcio in Serie B.

Buffon on Tuchel: “His offensive ideas were extraordinary”

In addition, Buffon praised Tuchel’s footballing know-how. “The training and his attacking ideas were exceptional, those of a top-top-top coach. He was almost a nobody when he came to Paris,” the 2006 world champion recalled. Before his engagement in France, Tuchel had no experience abroad as a coach, in the Bundesliga he coached FSV Mainz and Borussia Dortmund. With BVB he became the DFB Cup winner in 2017. On the coaching bench in Paris, he then won two championships and one cup. At his next stop FC Chelsea, Tuchel won the Champions League in 2021 and was named coach of the year by the world association FIFA. The 49-year-old has been without a coaching job since he was kicked out at Chelsea last September.

Buffon found clear words about his own career. It was the “biggest mistake of my life” to leave PSG prematurely. “I gave up 10 million euros,” he emphasized. “They told me Areola would play in the Champions League and I didn’t accept it. (…) Then I regretted it because Areola was injured and they signed Keylor Navas in his place.” Buffon had turned his back on Paris and returned to Juventus. The former world champion is now back under contract in Parma, where Buffon began his world career.

Buffon, Cannavaro & Co.: These famous footballers played at Parma

Gianluigi Buffon | From 1991 to 2001 and from 2021 at Parma

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Fabio Cannavaro | At Parma from 1995 to 2002

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Lilian Thuram | At Parma from 1996 to 2001

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Adriano | At Parma from 2002 to 2004

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Filippo Inzaghi | With Parma from 1995 to 1996

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Johan Micoud | From 2000 to 2002 at Parma

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Hristo Stoichkov | With Parma from 1995 to 1996

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Hernan Crespo | 1996 to 2000 and 2010 to 2012 at Parma

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Juan Sebastian Verón | 1998 to 1999 at Parma

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Claudio Taffarel | 1990 to 1993 and 2001 to 2003 at Parma

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Marcio Amoroso | From 1999 to 2001 at Parma

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Adrian Mutu | With Parma from 2002 to 2003

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Sergio Conceição | From 2000 to 2001 at Parma

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Carlo Ancelotti | With Parma from 1976 to 1979

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Matías Almeyda | From 200 to 2002 at Parma

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Alberto Gilardino | At Parma from 2002 to 2005

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Cristian Zaccardo | At Parma from 2009 to 2013

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Bruno Alves | From 2018 to 2021 at Parma

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Stefano Fiore | 1995 and from 1997 to 1999 at Parma

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Giuseppe Rossi | Until 2004 and in 2007 at Parma

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Alain Boghossian | At Parma from 1998 to 2002

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Christian Panucci | At Parma from 2009 to 2010

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Antonio Cassano | At Parma from 2013 to 2015

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Sebastien Frey | At Parma from 2003 to 2005

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Dino Baggio | From 1994 to 2001

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Hakan Sukur | 2002 near Parma

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Enrico Chiesa | With Parma from 1996 to 1999

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Gianfranco Zola | With Parma from 1993 to 1997

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