Buffon towards farewell: “I’ll stay until June then we’ll see. Now we need time”

The crisis unit has transformed into a less than magical circle: America is not there at the center. It went like this, it went the way it was supposed to go and, now, we are left with tears: Gigi knows it well, Leo knows it, Rino knows it. We began a short but intense trip to Bergamo six months ago and we, they have, began it with the first of many hugs: one step away from the bench, Gigi, Leo and Rino. The crisis unit could only be born like this: two who handed the world over to us in Berlin, one who Europe brought home after more than fifty years and under the noses of the English at Wembley. And now, like all crisis units, it is disbanding: we hoped that it was something that could last, we have fallen. Buffon will leave the scene, he said it from the moment he spent his time choosing Gattuso as coach: if we don’t go to the World Cup, I’ll step aside. “For the correct evaluations we will have to take the necessary time and the sports season ends in June: what I can say now – said our head of delegation – is that in the next three months I will remain at the disposal of the FIGC which has placed its trust in me…”. Translated: it’s not the night for tears, that of Gigi’s greetings would be, but beyond Zenica there is a choice, in fact, already made by those who have always kept their word.

the first doubts

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Gigi bet on Rino, Rino wanted Leo: it all started like this. A new spark ignites in Buffon after the clumsy and useless blue afternoon in Berlin, at the end of June 2024: as head of delegation he had felt that disappointment and from the role of head of delegation he had decided to step down or, better yet, he was looking for someone to put him back in his place with a deeper perspective. We move forward with Spalletti as coach, we turn to Gattuso as technical commissioner because the crisis unit must take shape and strong bets are placed on Rino precisely those who know that Italy needs identity, sense of belonging, courage: Gigi has no doubts. Gattuso doesn’t have time to take the ranks before his staff expands: the phone rings, Bonucci answers and the national team has its master of defence, movements and sensitivity to danger on dead balls are his fault and it’s a won cause.

Deep bitterness

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The last corner before America, Gigi experiences it with his hands inside the pockets of his jacket: partly standing, partly sitting on the large red armchairs on the bench. Leo plays more, he has to do it, he does it: there is a corner, the stadium pushes, Bonucci asks for what was studied in Coverciano. The crisis unit is a team with 370 games in blue: 176 Gigi, 121 Leo, 73 Rino. And the crisis unit, after the mission failed, disbanded: here, not after the night in Zenica, 70 kilometers north of Sarajevo. “The greatest goal – continues Buffon – was to go to America and this really hurts and risks making people think in a twisted and unclear way. And here I stop…”. The horizon, ours, is not widening, we can now say that. The spread has widened since the last World Cup, twelve seasons ago today which will make them sixteen at the next attempt. Bosnia takes to the streets and celebrates like never before, we are left with tears which, unfortunately, we are getting used to. And, soon, we will be without Gigi.