Juventus have returned to the premier European competition for the first time in many years, and Buffon has gone on to state his enthusiasm ahead of the tournament.
The last time that the Bianconeri outfit were part of the Champions League was back in 2009-10 season, under the appointment of Ciro Ferrara. It was not the most successful season for the club, on the European front as well as the domestic front, as the
Lady Killers failed to progress from the group stages of the UEFA Champions League.
It was not the most difficult of groups to pass through with Bayern Munich, Bordeaux and Maccabi Haifa being the other three contesting for a place in the knockout stages of the competition. Juve had a season to forget that term, as they crashed out of the
group stages as well as finishing seventh in the Lega standings. They have failed to qualify for the biggest European competition ever since.
Lifting the Scudetto last term also meant that the team would be able to compete in the premier competition of the best clubs of Europe, and Buffon feels like they belong in the competition.
While giving an interview to the assembled media, he remarked that he had to listen and watch the matches from the confines of his home and he felt that there was more to it. He went on to remark:
“I’ll be happy to hear the Champions League theme tune again. I’ve had to listen to it from my sofa over these years and I didn’t think that was right.”
The Italian Champions have been handed a tricky task in the latest adventure of Europe and have been pipped in the group with the likes of Shakhtar Donetsk, Chelsea and Nordsjaelland in the Group E of the competition. They will face off the holding European
Champions, http://www.senore.com/Football-soccer/Chelsea-c38786, in their opening match which will be played on the 19th of September.
Buffon was quizzed about his future at the club and talks of extending his contract, and he remarked:
“That’s the last of my problems. I’ve already said that I’m in no rush.”
The contract of the Nazionale skipper runs out in the summer of 2013.
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