Gianluigi Buffon brushed off questions about the hysteria Juventus signing Cristiano Ronaldo from Real Madrid has caused.
Bianconeri boss Massimiliano Allegri voiced concerns that Ronaldo’s arrival has stirred up “too much euphoria” ahead of the new Serie A season.
But the hype in Turin does not appear to have reached club icon Buffon, who sidestepped the topic of the Portugal superstar in a media conference on Sunday.
The 40-year-old goalkeeper left Juve for Paris Saint-Germain over the off-season and has moved to detach himself from events at his former home.
“What Juve are doing now is something that only concerns me as a spectator,” Buffon told reporters.
“Juventus is a great club, like PSG, and I believe that both have done their best, and will continue to do so, to make their teams as competitive as they can.”
While Allegri is attempting to cool the excitement around Ronaldo’s signing, the addition of the Champions League’s all-time leading goalscorer has heightened belief Juve could end a drought in the competition which stretches back to 1996.
Europe’s most-coveted club crown is one of few trophies to have eluded Buffon, but the veteran insists three final defeats had nothing to do with him leaving Italy.
“The meaning of this choice was so I could continue to play … at the highest level,” he said.
“Plus, I have always been excited by a challenge in a foreign country … and such an ambitious and important one as Paris.
“I think that after 40 years in Italy, changing is something that can help me improve as a man and as a professional because I’m getting into a new world.”
