Buffon: ‘Donnarumma suffers a lot from schadenfreude’

Gianluigi Buffon looked ahead to Italy’s upcoming European Championship campaign and called Luciano Spalletti ‘an atypical coach’.

The Azzurri finished second in their Euro 2024 qualifying group behind England, leaving them in Pot Four for the group stage draw. As such, they face a difficult first round at the coming tournament in Germany, drawing Spain, Croatia and Albania.

Buffon hung up his boots at the end of last season, ending a positive two-year spell with Parma, and he joined up with the Italy national squad as their team coordinator, helping bridge the gap between the dressing room and the backroom staff.

Speaking on pages two and three of today’s Tuttosport, Buffon first discussed Italy’s upcoming Euro 2024 campaign.

“Returning to the German stadiums will have an effect on me. Just think that the first one will be in Dortmund, where I only have good memories between Juve, Parma and the national team. I’ll also enjoy them because I’ll have less pre-match tension.”

He looked ahead to the Azzurri’s opponents in Group B.

“Let’s be careful about Albania, they’re a team to take with a grain of salt. Also, because they’re the first. The first matches in these events are always a little delicate and tense.

“But I think that with everything we’re working on Spalletti and his staff, if it’s received well by the boys, my only worry will be the condition in which we arrive at the European Championship.”

The former goalkeeper touched on his role with the national team.

“I’m almost a sporting director, but I still study. I’ve discovered the subtle enjoyment of learning. Artificial intelligence can be very useful for football, but we need human experience for the last real leap in quality.”

Buffon gave his thoughts on Italy coach Spalletti, who took over after Roberto Mancini’s shock resignation in the summer.

“Spalletti is an atypical coach, he has characteristics all his own, he likes to be a credible person, he stays in the middle of the squad, he wants there to be discipline and he always seeks coherence between what he says and does.

“We knew each other for time immemorial, but never up close, now it’s nice to be next to him.”

He weighed in on the criticism levied against goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma.

“I see a certain pleasure when one of his mistakes can be highlighted. The Germans have a word to indicate a moment of enjoyment that’s felt when things go badly for others: schadenfreude.

“Well, I believe that Gigio suffers a lot from that, but he is structured and has already overcome these moments many times.”

He spoke about a key lesson from the late Gianluca Vialli.

“Don’t waste time. Life is an opportunity and since we have this luck, we must try to make the most of it until the last day.”

The former goalkeeper commented on his life after hanging up his boots.

“I’m very happy because I deal with many things, I put my mind to work trying to put new ideas aside and above all improve my skills. And then, come on, it’s not like I suddenly stopped at 29.

“It was a choice that had been there for four or five years, I just had to choose the most appropriate moment. Now I’m very good, I have a satisfying life, not only at work, but also at home.”

Buffon defended Juventus coach Massimiliano Allegri.

“He is criticized because he comes from two years in which Juve have gone through many difficulties. Sometimes I think of the happiness of the Juve world when he returned.

“But when we start again, we need time. These two years have allowed him to make choices, to thin out the squad and perhaps to build towards victory within a year or two.”

He gave his thoughts on the comparison between Inter director Beppe Marotta and Juventus sporting director Cristiano Giuntoli.

“Let’s say that when he arrives in places (Marotta, ed.) he is very good. Nobody manages to choose people and arrange important things. It is an innate and natural ability to perceive what is needed and find the solution.

“Marotta is someone who makes the diagnosis immediately and doesn’t get the treatment wrong and gets the prognosis, all very quickly. It’s a quality that few people have, only smart and expert people.

“Having said that, pay attention to Giuntoli, the path that what Cristiano has done has been of great importance and places him among the top. Perhaps we are getting confused, because Giuntoli is not a competitor of Marotta in terms of role and Beppe is not a sports director but something more.

“As a ‘pure’ sports director, Cristiano is one of those who, in recent years, has done more than the others. And he has his own animalistic flair for football.”

Finally, Buffon felt Juventus could challenge for the Scudetto this season.

“Of course, it shouldn’t be the goal, the one that takes away your sleep at night, but it must be ‘a’ goal. That must be the desire and determination to move the limit of each team.”