Buffon cried goodbye to the Italian team

Before the play-off match against Sweden, Gianluigi Buffon planned to leave the Italian team after the 2018 World Cup. However, the veteran goalkeeper also hinted that if he did not pass the Nordic representative, he would make room for his colleagues.

Italy drew 0-0 in the second leg of the play-off match at home at San Siro, and lost to Sweden with a total score of 0-1.

`I’m not sad for myself, but I feel sorry for my country’s fans,` Buffon cried and said to the camera when announcing his retirement from the team.

Buffon kept his promise and left the Italian team after losing to Sweden

Italy is suffering from a drought of talent.

`Italian football still has a future. After falls, we always get up strongly. I will make room for younger people, and want to give hugs to Chiellini, Barzagli, Bonucci and De Rossi.

`In football, we win or lose as a team. I don’t think the coach has to bear all this responsibility. The players have the same responsibility as the coach.`

Besides Buffon, other Italian pillars such as Giorgio Chiellini, Andrea Barzagli, Daniele De Rossi also announced their retirement from international competition.

Chiellini, De Rossi and Barzagli simultaneously left the team

`This is a dark moment in the lives of our players. I have fought at Coverciano training ground and around the world wearing this shirt for more than a decade. Taking it off is a strange feeling.`

Sharing the same feelings as De Rossi, Chiellini said sadly: `Italy has not missed a World Cup in 60 years, and this is the time to create a new era. We have many talents born after 1990, people

Barzagli, the oldest of the three veterans, shared: `It’s hard to accept sitting at home watching the World Cup. This is the biggest disappointment of my life. At Euro 2016, we also cried, but at least we still cried.

Federico Bernardeschi, Juventus’ rookie in the summer of 2017, sent his gratitude to the four seniors who left the team after the loss to Sweden.