Saved

De: Gianluigi Buffon, John Foot - translator

Brought to you by Penguin.

On 19 November 1995, the world learned the name Gianluigi Buffon. At the tender age of seventeen he made his Serie A debut for Parma against European giants Milan, facing down the likes of Roberto Baggio and George Weah, keeping a clean sheet. During his twenty-eight-year long career Buffon broke many records including:
- The most capped goalkeeper of all time and the most appearance for Italy (176)
- The most Serie A titles (10)
- The longest time in Serie A without conceding a goal (974 minutes)
The numbers, however, only tell half the story of a player famously nicknamed “Superman” for his athletic prowess.

In Saved Buffon reveals that even superheroes struggle with their inner demons. Beyond his individual triumphs with Parma, Juventus and PSG – the famous World Cup win in 2006 – Buffon reflects on his deeply human challenges off the pitch. He describes being devoured by depression between games and the psychological toll of being a goalkeeper – the loneliest position in football - often finding solace in talking to his gloves. He opens up about his gambling, smoking during matches and the strains on his relationships which became fodder for the press. Buffon’s are the struggles of a man whose talents and flaws co-exit.

Saved is both a meditation on the art of goalkeeping and a love letter to the golden age of Italian football.

©2025 Gianluigi Buffon (P)2025 Penguin Audio

Reseñas de la Crítica

If this isn’t a number one bestseller, I don’t know what is. He wore number one. He was the number one. He truly is one of one (James Horncastle)

A superb and revealing autobiography, from one of the greatest goalkeepers in history, with stories from victories and defeats, as well as the dressing room secrets of numerous top coaches, from Ancelotti to Conte’ (John Foot)

An engaging, vivid and typically honest account of life on and off the pitch from arguably the greatest goalkeeper in the history of the sport (Emmet Gates)

Very few footballers have had a more storied or remarkable career than Gianluigi Buffon. It was crying out for a memoir. (Simon Kuper)