On Sunday, Gianluigi Buffon – a Serie A and Italy legend despite being an active player – reached a landmark, making his 600th appearance in the league. Although his goal was breached, a 2-1 victory was the cherry on top of his special cake.
To put that into perspective, only three other players – all Italian – hold spots in Serie A’s 600 club. Those three – some of the league’s biggest names in history – are Francesco Totti, Javier Zanetti, and Paolo Maldini.
How does the goalie compare to the other three? Here we take a look.
Buffon: 600 apps and counting
Totti: 607 apps and counting
Zanetti: 605 apps
Maldini: 647 apps
600 games
— bet365 (@bet365) November 7, 2016
274 clean sheets
1 legend
Gianluigi Buffon pic.twitter.com/vmm3jGaMsW
How many seasons did they spend in the Serie A?
Buffon: 21 seasons and counting
Totti: 25 seasons and counting
Zanetti: 19 seasons
Maldini: 25 seasons
Buffon debuted in the Italian top-flight the same season as Zanetti (1995-96). In the beginning of the 1994-95 campaign, Totti had only 10 appearances under his belt. The reason why Buffon trails the Roma and Inter legends has to do with the Calciopoli scandal.
The Old Lady were infamously relegated to the Serie B due to the match-fixing controversy in 2006. The goalkeeper opted to stay in Turin, and as a result, made 37 appearances in the second-tier league.
Trophy cabinets – who has won more silverware?
Since we are merely talking about their involvement in the Serie A, any trophy won outside of Italy – the Champions League and Club World Cup, for example – won’t be considered. Supercoppa Italiana titles won through winning the league and not Coppa Italia will only be eligible.
Buffon: 7 Serie A titles; 5 Supercoppa Italiana crowns
Totti: 1 Serie A title; 1 Supercoppa Italiana crown
Zanetti: 5 Serie A titles; 3 Supercoppa Italiana crowns
Maldini: 7 Serie A titles; 5 Supercoppa Italiana crowns
Will Buffon surpass the others?
Yes, he will – given his career isn’t abruptly ended through injury or controversy. The custodian revealed after the Euro 2016 exit that he will keep on playing until the 2018 World Cup, with retirement expected then.
The shot-stopper will likely surpass Totti, given that the Roma captain is no longer a starter, and Zanetti before this season ends. Furthermore, it won’t take long before he eclipses tally of appearances and titles, given Juventus’ dominance in Italy.
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