Gianluigi Buffon has explained how he and everyone at Juventus is desperate to build on their domestic success by winning the UEFA Champions League this season.
The Bianconeri have bounced back from the Calciopoli scandal of 2006 to win the last two Italian titles, and they are hot favourites to record a third successive triumph this time round. Despite being held to a 1-1 draw at Internazionale at the weekend, Antonio Conte’s side have made a strong start to the campaign, picking up seven points from their three matches.
Attention now turns to the Champions League, which they begin on Tuesday night with a trip to Denmark to face Copenhagen. Sterner tests await in Group B, where they have also been drawn with Spanish giants Real Madrid and Turkish outfit Galatasaray. However, Buffon feels this is the season for Juve to show just how much progress they have made in recent times.
“I am curious to see if we are able to continue to improve from last year,” he told a Press conference. “Winning the Champions League is a dream that I share with all the members of the Juventus – the playing staff, management and fans. The leadership strengthened the team over the summer, but now it’s up to us players to prove that we’re better on the pitch.”
During his lengthy career at the Old Lady, which began in 2001, Buffon has collected four league titles. The one major honour which has eluded the 35-year-old goalkeeper, who won the World Cup with the Azzurri in 2006, is the Champions League. The nearest he came was a decade ago, when Milan beat Juventus in a penalty shootout in the final at Old Trafford.
