Gianluigi Buffon is nearing retirement age, while Giorgio Chiellini had one last chance to go to one of Europe's mega wage-paying superclubs. But Juventus wanted to keep them around for the foreseeable future, and the club announced contract extensions for both players on Thursday.
Juventus extend captains Gianluigi Buffon, Giorgio Chiellini
Marco Luzzani/Getty Images
Buffon, the team’s captain, has signed a two and a half year extension that will take him through the end of the 2016-17 season, when he is 39 years old. The new deal for Chiellini, Juve’s vice-captain, is a year longer and will expire when he’s 34.
“They embody the values that set Juventus apart: work ethic, determination to never give in and the awareness that only one result counts - victory,” said team president Andrea Agnelli at a press conference announcing the deals. “I don’t just share the same goals with these two, we also share the same dreams.”
Chiellini has made 333 appearances in a Juventus shirt, while Buffon has played for the bianconeri 501 times, an astonishing number considering that he was firmly established as one of Serie A’s top goalkeepers for five seasons before moving from Parma to Juve.
See More:
