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January 30 Gianluigi Buffon, January 30th 2006The African Nations Cup is taking place in Egypt at the moment, which gives us the chance to see opponents that we could meet at the World Cup in Germany in action. Naturally I'm following Ghana, who we have to face in the group stages, with particular interest. I don't think it's easy to make a judgement about this team, as too many important players are missing, including Essien, Asamoah and also Udinese's Muntari. Their formation will probably change too, as our coach Lippi, who is watching the games up close in Africa, has spelt out.
I've read in the papers that Dujkovic, the manager, has come under a lot of criticism recently, but I think that in Germany, Ghana will play in a different way to that which we've seen in their latest games. For this reason it's paramount that we shouldn't underestimate these opponents. African football is the real thing now, and many of their players ply their trade with success in the various European leagues, which has given them experience and sharpened their wits compared to a few years ago.
With respect to individuals, it almost goes without saying that Eto’o has impressed me, and he has already scored a few goals. This is no surprise though, as the Barcelona and Cameroon striker is a confirmed talent. His value is well known these days, but it seems to me that he is still learning and therefore has the chance to make even more improvements to his game.
As far as the goalkeepers are concerned, my favourite so far has been Agassa, who is Togo's last line of defence. He's a huge man, very strong but also very agile. His team, nicknamed “The Sparrow Hawks", were beaten effortlessly by Cameroon, but he made a favourable impression on me. African keepers are also maturing greatly with regards to technical ability, and I'm convinced that we will soon see one or more of them in our league, even taking into account the fact that Italy continues to have one of the best, if not the best, crop of goalkeepers in the world. January 25 Gianluigi Buffon, January 25th 2006Many people were amazed at the two goals scored by Fabio Cannavaro against Empoli. Not me. I know Fabio well, not only as a person, but also and above all as a football player. We played many games together at Parma, in the national team, and for two seasons now we’ve been team-mates again at Juventus. I know his determination, his grit, and his desire to stand out. He’s a man who never gives up. That’s why his goals were no accident.
On a day when Juventus found it difficult to find space for their forwards due to Empoli bolting up their defence well, the only way to get beyond them was to make the most of dead ball situations. Fabio was well aware of this, and went forward as soon as he could. He’s gifted with an exceptional sense of timing: in fact, although not especially tall, he creates space for his headers brilliantly, often managing to get further forward than the forwards themselves. The first goal was scored in that very fashion: timing, competitive rage, elevation and power. Someone like Cannavaro is impossible for a goalkeeper to anticipate, as he pops up all of a sudden, out jumps everyone and surprises you.
For the second goal Fabio revealed himself as an opportunist as well, getting down at the right moment to meet the ball. A difficult goal to score, coming in from the right and running at such speed. These are situations which we also often try out in training, formations that are repeated mechanically, although the ability of the individual player is fundamental in carrying them out. Cannavaro has few rivals in this department.
Having him in front of you as a defender makes you feel safe, an assurance for me. But now he’s also becoming another resource in attack. I’m sure Fabio will have a great World Cup, because as he “gets old” he gets even better. In fact I can guarantee it, since I have the opportunity of seeing him at work in training every day. He’s complete and motivated, fast and aggressive. A true captain, who with the attention of Juventus (Capello is a master in perfecting the defensive phase) has been helped in becoming even stronger. With him, I feel protected. January 23 Gianluigi Buffon, January 23th 2006Our draw with Chievo and the simultaneous wins by Milan and especially Inter were enough to overturn in a few hours critics’ views on the Italian championship: Juventus in difficulty, the pursuers hope to clinch. I’ve already written that I didn’t consider the tournament in the bag, with the shield already sown on the front of our black-and-white shirts. But I also stressed the strength of Juventus and I haven’t changed my mind since the draw with Chievo, who proved to be an excellent team: well organised, fast and determined.
That Juve played a good game, apart from the result (you can’t always win!), is demonstrated by the fact that I personally didn’t have much to do, apart from the unstoppable goal. My job consisted mainly of coming out: nothing too difficult, but useful for refining my confidence in a type of intervention that is always very tricky for goalkeepers.
Contrary to popular belief, it is often preferable to face a “bombardment” of shots rather than a “rain” of cross-passes from a distance, especially if made on the run, which aim to cut through the defence and also put the goalie out of action. In any case, for me it was another small step forward towards gaining optimum form: I’m now not far off being in peak physical and psychological condition.
The season is in full swing. In addition to the championship, the Champions League will soon be back on the scene and the Italian Cup is already imminent. Having many targets to chase is the best way for me to get fully focused on the World Cup in Germany. To achieve one, and why not even two or three – anything’s possible for Juventus – morale would also be very high. There’s nothing better than winning for sharpening your appetite for victory. January 18 Gianluigi Buffon, January 18th 2006After the trying time during the Coppa Italia, at last I have once again breathed the heady atmosphere of the championship. It felt amazing. Among other things, being on the field has confirmed the thoughts I had when I was watching Juventus from the outside: the truth is we can make it all the way. That's not to say that we will, but we will put everything into every goal scored, both in Italy and abroad.
It should be remembered that my team-mates have coped brilliantly without me. There are no rivalries between us, and we do not compete with each other: I'm not happy about being back on the bench, but I feel better and want to regain the respect of everyone, from Capello to Lippi. To tell the truth I have never been let down, everyone has been on hand during this unhappy time, but Capello is right: it is on the pitch that you show you deserve the job and the affection. It is there that I feel most at ease, where I am best able to express myself.
I don't deny that I have received offers from the big European clubs, but I have never felt tempted to leave Italy. Being with Juventus is in itself the highest point a player can achieve. I saw Cassano and Vieri leave for Real Madrid and Monaco, but their cases were different: they had no reason to stay. I, on the other hand, feel that Juventus is part of me, I have a very long contract and the chance to go on winning. I have no reason to want to be anywhere else. That is why I am determined to give it everything I have. I believe in the club and the team, and I believe in our fans. Myself and my team-mates would like to give them something important before the world championships. Everyone says we could have already taken the league title, but they do it deliberately to try to put us off, and to try and capitalise on the slightest weakness in us. This is a trap which we as members of Juventus will not fall into, and we will remain focused until the end of the season. January 11 Gianluigi Buffon, January 11th 2006Dear friends, This "diary" is being launched to coincide with the New Year - which will be a particularly important one as the World Cup is being held in Germany. The first part of 2005 was an amazing time for me, winning the "scudetto" (the Italian League Championship) with Juventus and then qualifying for the World Cup with the Italian national team. This was doubly satisfying, and on a sporting level it repaid all the many sacrifices I'd made to ensure I was always up to the task and capable of dealing with the situation. But, for me, the year which has just ended turned out a really special one in another way, because I met the love of my life, Alena, who has been at my side for six months: she is far more than just the wife of a celebrity - she's really quite something in her own right*. This has made me happy and given me peace of mind, helping me make it through the difficult times. And difficult times there have been - in 2005 I also had to swallow the bitter pill of one of the worst misfortunes of my career, which had a serious influence on the start of the new football season, both with Juventus and with the Italian national side. Now, fortunately, I'm feeling much better, I'm on the way back to a full recovery and I'm looking to the future with optimism. During my long layoff my team mates were amazing and the team I'm getting ready to rejoin in the championship is a perfectly oiled machine running at full throttle, a Juventus side with a real hunger to win the title again. And I feel sure that the Italian national side will have the same hunger to show what it can do at the very highest level in Germany. I know Lippi well, he and Capello are quite alike in terms of their characters because they are always "hungry", they never give up, they know how to motivate and keep up the pressure on the players, helping them to think like winners. It's no coincidence that both whether it's with Juve or with the "azzuri", they place great emphasis on a strong squad, on unity, on technical resources and also on the moral of the players. This is the case both in long competitions like the league championship and in shorter ones like the World Cup - everyone has to give 110% if the team is going to be successful. I hope that I'll be in top form for Germany 2006 and the best way of achieving this is to start getting back to my best with Juventus. I can't wait to leave the bad times behind me, to get back onto the pitch, to once again breathe in the atmosphere you can sense at really big matches, with adrenaline pumping in my veins. Being out for so many months was really tough, partly because I've been lucky and it's not something I'm used to, so I've built up an incredible amount of energy, and now I want to use all that energy to help both Juventus and the Italian national side. I'll be doing it not just for myself but also for the fans who have always given me such wonderful support.
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