Gianluigi Buffon spoke to Sky Sports after receiving the award as the best goalkeeper of the past season last night. "More than overjoyed, I was happy and happy and proud to receive deserved recognition for what I did. There was a congestion and a mix of emotions I've felt few times. In the end, the greatest joy is to have the awareness that if I did not have a club and a team then I could never get there. Sharing joy and pain is the most beautiful part of team sports."

 

He went on to speak about his impending retirement at the end of the season. “I'm pretty convinced of the choices I’ve made and I am a very serene person in the sense that I'm not afraid of the future and what my life may be. I face the future with enthusiasm and curiosity.”

 

He also gave a clue as to what it would take for him to delay retirement. “I'll only consider a rational reason to stay. The only way [to delay retirement] would be to win the Champions League and then I’d have the chance to win the Club World Cup. It would be important.”