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“Messi Made Me Proud When He Asked for My Shirt” – Buffon on 2015 UCL Final
Gianluigi Buffon has shared a special moment from the 2015 Champions League final that made him feel truly proud.
The match, held at Olympiastadion in Berlin, saw Juventus face off against Barcelona. Ivan Rakitic put Barça ahead early in the fourth minute, but Alvaro Morata brought Juve back into the game with a goal in the 55th minute.
However, Barcelona quickly regained control when Luis Suarez capitalized on a rebound from a Lionel Messi strike that Buffon had parried in the 68th minute. Neymar sealed the 3-1 victory in injury time, securing the trophy for the Spanish giants.
Despite the loss, Buffon experienced an unforgettable moment after the match. Messi approached him and asked for his shirt, a request that left the legendary goalkeeper feeling honored.
“Leo made me proud when he asked for my shirt after the final in Berlin. I was 37 years old, and in that moment, I thought, ‘Mamma mia, how beautiful this is!’” Buffon recalled in an interview with TuttoJuve.
“It was one of those rare times in my life when I saw myself differently, not feeling uncomfortable but rather appreciating the moment. We exchanged shirts, and it meant a lot to me.”
For Messi, that night marked his last appearance in a Champions League final, while for Buffon, it was a memory that remained just as significant as any trophy he had won.
Super Eagles defender Calvin Bassey has opened up about a difficult period in his career, revealing that he almost stepped away from football.
Speaking during a recent interview, Bassey shared that he once made a personal promise to himself to quit pursuing football professionally if he failed to secure a spot at a professional club.
“I remember being 15 and going into my final year, and I told myself that if I didn’t get into a professional club, I would quit football. It was that simple,” he said.
“I would just stop pursuing it seriously and only play for fun. Thank God I eventually got a club, because I honestly don’t know where I would be otherwise.”
It has been reported that the Confederation of African Football (CAF) fined Egypt $5,000 following their clash with Zimbabwe for failing to manage post-match media obligations.
It was noted that after the match, the Egyptian players ignored the media. This action was said to be a violation of CAF’s media regulations, which led to the fine being imposed.
Head of the Super Eagles, Eric Chelle, shared that the big-name players on the team are not happy about being benched.
He recalled when he took out Samuel Chukwueze during the match against Tanzania.
“Yes, of course, we’ve in this team a lot of big names. They are competitors; they aren’t happy when they go to the bench,” Chelle said at his post-match interview.”
“My job is to make choices, and we’re playing a 4-4-2 diamond, and at this moment I feel we have to protect the wing.”
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