Buffon: No Man City bid exists

Buffon: No Man City bid exists
Saturday 29 November, 2008

Gianluigi Buffon gives updates on his fitness, Manchester City’s £65m offer, Calciopoli and the Scudetto race.

The Juventus goalkeeper has been sidelined for six weeks after a recurring thigh strain, but resumed training in recent days.

“I tried the first little run and looked like an old man. I will be back for the new year,” he smiled on La 7 television last night.

The interview was wide-ranging and touched on a number of subjects, such as the reported £65m offer to join Manchester City.

“Nobody has offered me anything and I didn’t even take the issue into consideration,” assured the 2006 World Cup winner.

Buffon was asked what his biggest mistake was in his long career and he looked back at an incident that marred his Parma days.

“I put on a shirt to charge up the players with written on it: ‘Boia chi molla’ (death to those who give up). I didn’t know it was a Fascist motto from the war, though.

“I made other mistakes, but am most ashamed of ‘buying’ a diploma, because that showed a lack of respect to those who studied hard for their qualifications.”

However, Buffon did not count the Calciopoli years as among his regrets despite seeing two Scudetti stripped and the club demoted to Serie B.

“I think Luciano Moggi had some things to feel guilty about, but so did quite a few people in different clubs.

“I got the feeling they wanted to damage Juve in particular, then tried the same trick with me and Fabio Cannavaro, too.”

The notoriously jocular goalkeeper was less serious when asked about his predictions for this season, as he burst out laughing when declaring the Scudetto and Champions League would be won by Inter.

*chn4