Paris Saint-Germain have confirmed the arrival of veteran goalkeeper Gianluigi Buffon on a free transfer following his emotional exit from Juventus.
The French club released a video of Buffon getting measured up for a suit before he is unveiled wearing their new goalkeeper shirt for the 2018-19 campaign.
Buffon has signed a one-year deal with the Ligue 1 champions with the option for a further 12 months if he decides to continue on at Parc des Princes for a second season. Such an option would see him playing beyond his 42nd birthday.
The Italian told the club’s official website:
‘It is with a great feeling of happiness that I join Paris Saint-Germain.
‘For the first time in my career, I am leaving my country and only a project this ambitious could have encouraged me to make such a decision.
‘I want to thank the club and the president for their confidence. To have followed the club’s incredible progression in recent years, I know what dreams Paris Saint-Germain and its fans have in their hearts.
‘I am going to bring all my energy, all my experience and all of my thirst to win to help my new club achieve all the great objectives it has set out for the future.
‘With my teammates and our supporters, we will share fantastic emotions at the Parc des Princes and in all of the stadiums in which we are going to represent Paris, a marvellous city that deserves to one day see its club at the top of international football.’
PSG and Buffon align with regards to their Champions League ambitions. Both the club and the player have never lifted Europe’s premiere trophy despite experiencing large amounts of domestic success.
Indeed, Buffon won nine Serie A titles with Juventus (11 if including those that were eventually taken away from Juventus) and five Coppa Italia titles in between Parma and the Old Lady. He also lifted the World Cup with Italy in 2006.
Likewise, PSG have been crowned champions of France in five of the last six seasons but have not reached the semi-final stage of the Champions League since 1995.
Buffon has come markedly closer to lifting the famously big-eared trophy and is thrice a losing finalist. He experienced defeat in the 2003 final to AC Milan, in 2014 to Barcelona and in 2017 to Real Madrid.
