Buffon ready to lay his building block for Italy's rebuild

 
INA-sources
 
Gianluigi Buffon said Monday that he was ready to do his bit to help Italy rebuild as he was presented as the national team's new delegation chief after wrapping up his glorious playing career at the end of last season.

    "Being here makes me a happy man," the 2006 World Cup-winner said at Italy's base at Coverciano near Florence, where the Azzurri have started preparing for the upcoming Euro 2024 qualifiers against North Macedonia in Skopje and Ukraine in Milan.

    "I am returning to an environment that I think I know quite well," added the former goalkeeping great and Juventus and Italy captain.
    "I'll have to lay a little building block in all the dynamics that we'll experience".

    Buffon joints new Azzurri coach Luciano Spalletti's backroom staff in a position last held by another former Italy great, Gianluca Vialli, who died at the age of 58 in January after a battle with pancreatic cancer.

    "I had an extraordinary relationship with him," Buffon said in relation to Vialli.

    "It would be wrong to be arrogant enough to think I can be immediately as good. I'll try to always be myself".

    When asked what sort of national team he'd like to see, he replied: "a generous one, capable of exciting people again".

Source: ANSA