Buffon opens up about meeting Del Piero before Italy vs Albania

Italy’s delegation chief Gianluigi Buffon admits he was thrilled to meet his ex-teammate Alessandro Del Piero at the Westfalenstadion in Dortmund before Italy-Albania and praises Gigio Donnarumma.

Buffon crossed paths with his ex-Juventus and Italy teammate Del Piero in Dortmund last night before the Azzurri’s EURO 2024 debut against Albania.

Del Piero and Buffon played together in the same stadium in 2006, beating Germany 2-0 in the World Cup semifinals.

“It was thrilling to see Del Piero in that stadium,” the former goalkeeper told reporters from Italy’s training camp in Iserlohn on Sunday.

“I always try to forget about the past and focus on the present and the future, but it was inevitable to think about what happened 18 years ago when meeting Del Piero in Dortmund.”

Buffon also praised Donnarumma as a key save of the PSG star helped the Azzurri secure a much-needed victory against Albania.

“Gigio made more difficult saves [in his career], but was important because it was a key moment. It would have been a shame not to win the game.”