[FONT=Arial,Helvetica,Geneva,Swiss,SunSans-Regular]Alessio Secco is the latest Juventus employee to maintain that Gianluigi Buffon will still be wearing the Bianconeri gloves next season.
Boss Didier Deschamps insisted yesterday that the No 1 would remain – after Buffon’s recent admission that he is missing the spotlight of Champions League football – and Secco has done the same today.
”We will always be grateful to Buffon,” noted the sporting director to Tuttosport. ”His decision to stay even in Serie B impressed us and made us proud of him.
”Gigi is a symbol for our supporters and we will never reach a point where we might get into a confrontation with him.
”If we had felt that we did not have the means to build a great Juventus side again then we would have let him go immediately.
”Instead, we plan on making important signings and we have no doubts that Buffon will stay with us for some time to come.”
Buffon’s future may also depend on Marcello Lippi’s future as reports in Italy suggest that the World Cup tactician could be offered a management role with Juventus.
The goalkeeper, contracted with the Turin club until 2010, recently suggested that he would be willing to join any club who would offer Lippi a coaching role.[/FONT]
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