A unifying problem troubles even football’s greatest practitioners.
It’s rarely something rudimentary like a tricky opponent – naturally, their brilliance has accounted for all of them along the way to icon status. Neither will it be worries about a particular skill or tactical instruction; those are problems for the less gifted to fret about.
No, the one issue which touches most members of the sport’s pantheon relates to the great uncontrollable – time. Tremendous careers free of stumbles hit the rocks with uncharacteristic frequency in the final stages as unfamiliar fallibility takes hold.
It is a simple question but one which has stumped the likes of Francesco Totti, Andrea Pirlo and Steven Gerrard in recent years – when is the optimum moment to step aside?
Regrettably, Gianluigi Buffon appears to be the latest luminary to believe he is impervious to ageing. For the protection of a legacy arguably unmatched by anyone else to ever don goalkeeper’s gloves, he must embrace a narrowing window to graciously step aside.
Buffon was left to process his new imperfections after Tottenham’s rousing 2-2 draw in the Champions league’s round of 16. The eternal Italy and Juventus No1, whose achievements make even the term ‘great’ feels disrespectful in its scope, was at fault for both goals.
His 40-year-old bones could not move fast enough to prevent England centre forward Harry Kane from skipping past him to make it 2-1 from an angle which would have been made impossibly acute in the past.
Despair: Buffon did not excel against Spurs in the Champions League.
A collector’s item then followed in the second half as Denmark playmaker Christian Eriksen’s low free-kick found the bottom corner on his side. A fatal step to the left and spring uncoiled by age meant he could no longer react to the unorthodox.
This is not a scenario Buffon or the tifosi bianconeri are used to.
The issue of the keeper’s retirement has burned since the Azzurri’s failure to make the 2018 World Cup. He tearfully quit in the wake of November’s embarrassing failure, a snap decision which reports from Sky Italia on Wednesday state he will reverse for March’s friendlies against England and Argentina.
At club level, the search for an elusive first Champions League trophy is apparently keeping him between the sticks.
His culpability for both Spurs goals means he will likely need to stick around for at least one more season to complete this quest.
From Buffon’s end then, a retirement date at the end of 2017/18 seems increasingly undesirable.
FLASHES OF THE KEEPER THAT ONCE WAS
It is not like the current season has been without its reminders of greatness. The winning of a personal duel with Italy team-mate Lorenzo Insigne was key to bailing out a jittery Juventus defence in December’s 1-0 win at Serie A-title rivals Napoli.
Statistically in the league, his average goals conceded per game (0.75 to 0.80), average saves per game (2.08 to 2.03) and average saves per goal (3.13 to 2.65) are all improvements on 2016/17.
But is continuation the right course for club, country and player?
The spectre of injury has returned to haunt Buffon for the first time since 2010/11.
Curiously, it was a calf problem picked up in this man-of-the-match performance in Naples which has increased the calls for a changing of the guard.
This term, he’s started just half of Juve’s 24 Serie A matches. 2016/17’s return of 30 was his lowest since that injury-blighted campaign seven years ago.
Perennial No2 Marco Storari isn’t stepping into the breach when he’s on the treatment table. A different beast entirely comes in now.
Poland No1 Wojciech Szczesny was bought last summer for £10 million (Dh51.4m) from Arsenal with a view to 12 months being spent as apprentice to the master. When called into action, he’s excelled.
Stand-in standout: Szczesny has impressed at Juventus.
December’s last-minute save from Patrik Schick against Roma was world class, as were point-blank stops in January’s 1-0 win at Cagliari.
From his 12 Serie A starts in black and white, just six goals have been conceded and eight clean sheets earned. Buffon has let in nine and experienced seven shut-outs.
With the numbers so tight between them, the issue at play is whether the old hand still possesses the athleticism and nimbleness to stand guard at the highest level.
The toughest decision of Buffon’s career awaits – the one that could end it.
