#SupermanReturns: Buffon back in Parma - Joined Juventus for record fee in 2001

The circle for goalkeeping legend Gianluigi Buffon is closed: With the hashtag #SupermanReturns, Parma confirmed the return of the 43-year-old after 20 years on Thursday afternoon. Buffon had left the Gialloblu for Juventus for the then record fee for a goalkeeper of €52.88 million in 2001. For Juve, he has played ever since, with the exception of a brief spell at Paris Saint-Germain in 2018/19. The 2006 World Cup winner’s departure from the Bianconeri after the expiration of his contract on June 30 had already been announced in May.

At Parma, Buffon, who made his professional debut for the club in November 1995 as a 17-year-old against AC Milan (0-0), is expected to help the club to return to the top tier. Three years after the club’s fabulous return to the Serie A following its re-foundation as Parma Calcio, the side was relegated finishing bottom the table. Buffon has signed a contract running until 2023, at the end of which he would be 45 years old.

The Gazzetta dello Sport had recently reported that the 176-time Italy international wanted to recommend himself for a place in the squad for the 2022 World Cup in Qatar at Parma. He last played for the Squadra Azzurra in 2018.