The great Gianluigi Buffon has retired. In Russia, the legendary goalkeeper is associated not only with his game, but also with the phrase of Georgy Cherdantsev – “Buffon”. The Match TV commentator said it on February 25, 2012 during Milan’s match against Juventus.
Saying goodbye to Gianluigi from big football, Georgy, especially for the “Championship”, told the backstory of the meme and admired Buffon’s career.
Almost 30 years of career in a gallery:
20 milestones of Buffon’s career. Photos that can be looked at for a long time.
“The last name of Buffon was the one I used the most during my entire career”
Buffon’s departure is a moment to appreciate time and realize how many years I have been in the profession. You can’t even remember everything. Buffon’s entire career flashed before my eyes. So the end of him feels weird.
For me, Gianluigi is the number one goalkeeper. Over the past 25 years, I’ve commentated on Serie A, perhaps even more often than on the RPL. And the last name of him during all the time of work, probably, he was called more often. When you comment on many matches of a soccer player, you begin to feel it differently, you get to know his life better. Buffon is a symbol of that time, a symbol of my work. This is the first super goalkeeper whose game I have commented on. And I talked about it my whole career.
“It is a great injustice that Buffon has not received the Ballon d’Or. Now everyone only wants those who score goals.”
It is revealing that everything was always calm with Buffon, without excesses. Off the field, he did not stand out with crazy deeds, he did not spill brilliant quotes. For me, he has always been a great goalkeeper, an incredible leader. It was amazing that he didn’t leave Juventus when they sent them to Serie B. I think that made him an icon. That Buffon victory in the second division is worth more than his lack of victory in the Champions League. Winning the Champions League is cool if you always play for a top club. But winning with a top club in Serie B is a unique achievement.
I consider it a great injustice that Buffon did not receive the Ballon d’Or. Everyone always pays attention only to those who score goals, and with the advent of the Internet and social media, this has only gotten worse. There are more advertising platforms and fewer advertising faces. The gatekeepers of the marketing directors of large companies are almost nobody. Only if they don’t work miracles, they don’t play tricks on the door, like Grobbelar, whom I loved as a child, or Jean-Marie Pfaff.
bruce grobbelar
Photo: Mike King/Getty Images
“I will never be able to explain how the “Jester” was born in my head”
Of course, Buffon’s most memorable match for me is the match between Milan and Juventus, during which I yelled “Buffon”. This word still rings in my ears. At the same time, Gianluigi had a lot of great matches where he made great saves, but there were so many that it’s hard for me to choose. For me, “Buffoon” is a cool thing that happened in my career. They still send me this sometimes. Of course, it was improvisation. Many people think that most memes are homemade. When I started commenting, I actually prepared a few jokes ahead of time to stand out, to be remembered. Although this is a completely wrong approach, because the commentator should comment on football, and we already have enough comedians. When you become obsessed with telling a prepared joke, you become a hostage to it: you don’t start thinking about the game, but you seize the moment to put it in the report.
So I did not prepare anything, it came out absolutely arbitrary and natural. Unfortunately, Gianluigi has a proper last name, similar to the Russian word. Also, the suffix “-isch” fits well with the description of something great. I will never be able to explain how he appeared in my head, as well as explain what he meant by the phrase: “Now I will finish everything in general.”
I think that initially no one paid much attention to this cry, after all, social networks only reached the peak of popularity. If it had happened today, it would have exploded immediately. And so – he said and said, I did not feel any deafening quick reaction to this phrase. It was crafted well and it happened over time. What I like the most is that the advertising campaign for the rate of one of our cell operators was inspired by my “Jester”. I’m sure of that.
How it all began:
“This will be the most important decision of your life.” Buffon’s letter to himself in the past will move you to tears
“Martínez world champion in 10 years nobody will remember him, and Buffon will be remembered in 30”
Unfortunately, I never saw Buffon in my life, I did not communicate. At the same time, it’s surprising that I interviewed Dino Zoff two years ago. It was a great victory negotiating with him, because he didn’t really talk to anyone. It so happened that I spoke with Buffon’s predecessor, but not with him, who would be more logical. But I know that one of my colleagues showed Buffon a video with “Buffon”. He seemed to like it.
Gianluigi Buffon
Photo: Giuseppe Bellini/Getty Images
Of course, he had a lot of well-known phrases: “The gun is terrible”, “I need a car for a special hospital”, “I’ll finish everything now”, but “Buffonishe” will always be on top. It is easy to reproduce, it adapts to any context. I am glad that even today’s children know this phrase, because for them I am best known as a commentator on the FIFA game. When I find myself at some kind of children’s tournament, the “Jester” often breaks out in children. So I thank Gianluigi for giving me the opportunity to say this sentence. We accompany the action, but we do not give birth. In Liverpool, Arshavin was the main character, not me. Same with Buffon.
Gianluigi will always be remembered. Now there are many good goalkeepers, but some of them have become the same. Apparently all big club goalkeeping coaches have roughly the same methods. The complexion of all the guardians is also the same. They have lost their enthusiasm, they lack goalkeeper personality. There is no longer such that you can identify a goalkeeper just by the way he plays. Buffon was impossible to mistake for anyone. Gianluigi hasn’t always worked miracles in goal, but his charisma would have been enough for everyone else on the pitch. For example, there is the newly minted world champion Martínez. He is a good goalkeeper, but only the world title will go down in history. In 10 years, no one will remember his name. And Buffon will be remembered in 30.
