Gigi Buffon explains how he fired Juventus back into life after their dire start to the season. “We wanted to prove them wrong.”

The goalkeeper gave a lengthy interview to the Corriere dello Sport newspaper and touched on his role in the locker room.

“The captain is someone who puts his experience at the disposal of the others, especially the younger players, and tries to find the right language to express the responsibility of wearing the jersey of your club and national team.

Gigi Buffon explains how he fired Juventus back into life after their dire start to the season. “We wanted to prove them wrong.”

The goalkeeper gave a lengthy interview to the Corriere dello Sport newspaper and touched on his role in the locker room.

“The captain is someone who puts his experience at the disposal of the others, especially the younger players, and tries to find the right language to express the responsibility of wearing the jersey of your club and national team.

“You must be recognised and also work for your teammates.”

Buffon famously blasted his teammates in public after their defeat to Sassuolo in October – which remains the last Serie A loss they suffered, going on to complete an extraordinary comeback.

“It was a very simple discussion we had. We all thought the same thing: if we didn’t win the Scudetto, or worse if we continued the disastrous way we started the season, people would’ve said all sorts of things.

“They would say that the reason for our collapse was the big players who had left, that we weren’t motivated anymore, that we were sated, that the players were now too old and past it. Everything. We wanted to prove them wrong.

“We made a few calculations and said that, ultimately, winning 25 or 26 games was not impossible. We’d done it the year before.

“We shook off the fear and started this wonderful climb.”

Juventus were in 12th place after that loss to Sassuolo in Week 10, having started the season with just three Serie A wins, three draws and four defeats.

That was followed by 23 wins in 24 rounds, plus a 0-0 at Bologna on February 19, putting them within touching distance of a fifth consecutive Scudetto.

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