Saved
The definitive memoir of the greatest goalkeeper of all time
Published on 16. April 2026
224 pages
978-1-4059-8285-6 (ISBN)
Description
'He wore number one. He was the number one. He truly is one of one' James Horncastle, Serie A reporter for The Athletic
'A superb and revealing autobiography' John Foot, author of Calcio: A History of Italian Football
'Few could debut at seventeen against that Milan and keep a clean pair of shorts, let alone a clean sheet, but Gigi did' James Richardson, The Totally Football Show
_____________________
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.
'A superb and revealing autobiography' John Foot, author of Calcio: A History of Italian Football
'Few could debut at seventeen against that Milan and keep a clean pair of shorts, let alone a clean sheet, but Gigi did' James Richardson, The Totally Football Show
_____________________
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.
Reviews / Votes
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 * The Athletic * 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 * author of Calcio: A History of Italian Football * Few could debut at 17 against that Milan and keep a clean pair of shorts, let alone a clean sheet, but Gigi did -- James Richardson * The Totally Football Show * You'd be hard-pressed to find a figure who loomed as large -- both metaphorically and in real life -- between the sticks -- Gabriele Marcotti * ESPN * When it comes to naming the greatest goalkeeper, Buffon is the only choice . . . Buffon has done and seen it all * Forbes * The Maradona of goalkeepers -- Fabio Cannavaro 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 * Senior Writer at Destination Calcio * Very few footballers have had a more storied or remarkable career than Gianluigi Buffon. It was crying out for a memoir. -- Simon KuperMore details
Edition
New edition
Language
English
Place of publication
London
United Kingdom
Edition type
New edition
File size
0,78 MB
ISBN-13
978-1-4059-8285-6 (9781405982856)
Copyright in bibliographic data and cover images is held by Nielsen Book Services Limited or by the publishers or by their respective licensors: all rights reserved.
Schweitzer Classification
Other editions
Persons
Gianluigi Buffon (Author)
Gianluigi Buffon is a former professional footballer. He began his career at Parma before joining Juventus in 2001 in a £32.6m deal - a world record for a goalkeeper at the time. Buffon spent most of his career in Turin, except for a season at Paris Saint-Germain in 2018-19 where he won Ligue 1, before returning to Juventus and then to Parma in June 2021 where he ended his career. He announced his retirement at the age of forty-five, and then became the head of the delegation of the Italian national team with whom he won the World Cup in 2006.
Gianluigi Buffon is a former professional footballer. He began his career at Parma before joining Juventus in 2001 in a £32.6m deal - a world record for a goalkeeper at the time. Buffon spent most of his career in Turin, except for a season at Paris Saint-Germain in 2018-19 where he won Ligue 1, before returning to Juventus and then to Parma in June 2021 where he ended his career. He announced his retirement at the age of forty-five, and then became the head of the delegation of the Italian national team with whom he won the World Cup in 2006.
