24 August 2017
Congratulations to Juventus captain Gianluigi Buffon who was named UEFA Goalkeeper of the Year at the Champions League Draw ceremony on Thursday night in Monaco.
The Italian legend earned the award over fellow finalists Manuel Neuer of Bayern Munich and Jan Oblak of Atletico Madrid.
Buffon had perhaps his best season yet in the 2016/17 UEFA Champions League, starting 12 out of Juve’s 13 matches. He played 599 of the Bianconeri’s stunning 689-minute streak without conceding, including five clean sheets in a row through the knockout stages. The defensive streak was the second-longest in Champions League history.
"A HUGE SATISFACTION"
“I’ve won this award because Juve enjoyed a great season and my team-mates enabled me to play well. It’s an individual prize but there’s also a strong collective feel to it.
“To receive this award at 39 years old is a huge satisfaction, but I also believe it is deserved, as I think that I’ve been achieving some very big things recently.
“My secret to success? Probably to have remained hungry and eccentric in all these years."
"WELL-BALANCED GROUP"
“This group includes two teams (Juventus and Barcelona) that over the years have deserved to be called big clubs and favourites.
“Meanwhile, the other two are outsiders (Olympiacos and Sporting Clube de Portugal) possessing very good qualities and who can put us on our toes. All in all, this is quite a well-balanced group.
“Our tie against Barcelona will be a strong test and, even if it can’t be compared in terms of importance to the quarter-final of a few months ago, it will answer some important questions.”
