PSG star Buffon: I’m better than five years ago

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Veteran Paris Saint-Germain goalkeeper and Italian great Gianluigi Buffon believes he is ‘better than five, six or seven years ago’.

Buffon swapped Serie A champions Juventus for Ligue 1 holders PSG at the age of 40 in the off-season.

The legendary keeper helped Juve to seven successive league titles and nine in total during his time in Turin, where he also claimed 10 other trophies.

Despite his advancing years, Buffon feels he has improved and surpassed his past performances.

In an interview with France Football, Buffon said: ‘If you asked me ‘At age 35, do you feel differently than today?’ I would say, ‘I think I am better’.

‘Then you would say, ‘Impossible’. Me too. Sometimes, when I come home, that’s what I say to myself: ‘It’s not possible’. And yet, deep within me, I feel better than five, six or seven years ago. I cannot say why. Maybe because I changed my approach.

‘After, at my age, everything is a matter of envy and motivation.’

Buffon has settled in seamlessly under PSG head coach Thomas Tuchel in Paris, making his Ligue 1 debut against Caen and starting in the win over Guingamp.

However, Buffon relinquished the gloves to Alphonse Areola for Saturday’s 3-1 victory against Angers and the shot-shopper will also sit out this week’s trip to Nimes.

‘With Alphonse and Kevin [Trapp], we have a very good relationship and for me, even before being partners, they are like brothers,’ Buffon said.

‘Their attitude in the daily work is exemplary and in a team, it is important to have a lot of respect and esteem for each other. This is already a good starting point.

‘Now, football has changed a lot. A team like Paris Saint-Germain play about 60 matches and I hope that they will play some more than last season. It seems unthinkable to me to have only one holder at the post and therefore logical to have three keepers.’

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Marshall Gouts