Azzurri goalkeeper Gigi Buffon

Buffon flies flag for Italy
Monday 30 June, 2008

Azzurri goalkeeper Gigi Buffon was the only Italian player to earn a place in UEFA’s 23-man squad of Euro 2008’s top players.

The Juventus No 1 produced some trademark heroics to help Italy escape Group C – most notably against Romania where he saved a penalty from Adrian Mutu.

However, Buffon couldn’t prevent a lacklustre Azzurri outfit exiting the tournament after a last-eight penalty shoot-out defeat against Spain.

UEFA have decided that Spanish midfield star Xavi was the top player of the European Championship and he is joined in their top squad by eight of his teammates.

UEFA’s squad of Euro 2008:

Goalkeepers: Buffon (Italy), Casillas (Spain), Van Der Saar (Holland)

Defenders: Bosingwa (Portugal), Lahm (Germany), Marchena (Spain), Pepe (Portugal), Puyol (Spain), Zhirkov (Russia)

Midfielders: Altintop (Turkey), Modric (Croatia), Senna (Spain), Xavi (Spain), Zyryanov (Russia), Ballack (Germany), Fabregas (Spain), Iniesta (Spain), Podolski (Germany), Sneijder (Holland)

Strikers: Arshavin (Russia), Pavlyuchenko (Russia), Torres (Spain), Villa (Spain)

*chan4


Bravo Gigi............