With the Italian icon having made his last appearance on Sunday, Goal looks back at his remarkable 17-year stay in Turin
Getty ImagesThe most expensive goalkeeper ever
After proving himself the best young goalkeeper in the world at Parma, the 23-year-old Gianluigi Buffon became the most expensive goalkeeper in history when he joined Juventus in 2001 for €52 million, which remains a record.
"Juve are a very big team," the Carrara native said at the time, "and I'm sure we're going to win many trophies together."
He wasn't wrong…
AdvertisementGetty ImagesFigo penalty save
Juventus were 2-0 up on the night, and 3-2 ahead on aggregate, when Real Madrid were awarded a penalty in the 67th minute of the pair's Champions League semi-final second-leg showdown in Turin in 2003.
Ballon d'Or winner Luis Figo stepped up to take it but his spot-kick was superbly read by Buffon, who dived to his right to push the ball away to safety.
Just six minutes later, Pavel Nedved made it 3-0, thus rendering Zinedine Zidane's late goal purely academic. However, as Juve midfielder Alessio Tacchinardi admitted afterwards, "If Figo's penalty had gone in, the game could have been very different."
Getty ImagesInzaghi save
Juve's appearance in the 2003 final ended in bitter disappointment, with AC Milan triumphing 3-2 on penalties after the two sides had played out an absorbing 0-0 draw after 120 tension-filled minutes at Old Trafford.
Buffon couldn't have done much more to help his side over the line, even saving two spot-kicks, from Clarence Seedorf and Kakha Kaladze, in the shootout.
In addition, Juve would have fallen behind just 16 minutes in had it not been for their goalkeeper, who pulled off a stunning stop from an Inzaghi header that left the Milan forward holding his head in sheer disbelief.
"Even today, I still don't know how he got to that ball," SuperPippo later admitted.
Getty ImagesStaying at Juventus in Serie B
During a question and answer session with young Juventus fans a couple of years ago, a boy stood up and introduced himself as Lorenzo from Parma.
"Here's my question," he began. "Why did you decide to go down to Serie B with Juventus [in 2006] when you were a World Cup winner, given so many other teams wanted you?"
"Hi Lorenzo," Buffon replied. "Say hello to Parma for me when you go home – it always has a place in my heart.
"Anyway, I chose to drop down into Serie B with Juve because I thought of you. I thought about you because, in football, we talk a lot. But I firmly believe in certain moments you need to replace words with deeds."