Juventus confirm they have handed new one-year contracts to veteran pair Giorgio Chiellini and Gianluigi Buffon – with latter’s deal set to take him past his 43rd birthday!
- Juventus legends Giorgio Chiellini and Gianluigi Buffon will stay for an extra year
- Pair have signed new contracts as they hurtle towards yet another Serie A title
- Buffon’s new contract, until June 2021, will take him past his 43rd birthday
- Chiellini, meanwhile, is now 35 and will enter his 16th straight season at the club
Juventus have handed new one-year contracts to legendary pair Giorgio Chiellini and Gianluigi Buffon – with the latter’s deal set to take him past his 43rd birthday.
The veteran players, 35 and 42 respectively, have both played for the club for the majority of their careers, and have now been rewarded with an extra 12 months.
Defender Chiellini has played 509 times for Juve over the last 15 seasons, while goalkeeper Buffon has 669 appearances and is closing in on his 10th league triumph with the Italian giants.
Gianluigi Buffon has signed a new one-year contract at Juventus, taking him to the age of 43
Giorgio Chiellini, another club legend, has a new deal and will be 35 when it comes to an end
Buffon is also the Juventus player with the most Serie A appearances in history (479) and has equalled Paolo Maldini’s record of the most Serie A appearances (647).
He is also the second-oldest player ever to play in the Champions League, and is chasing down Marco Ballotta’s record of 43 years and 252 days.
In a statement on their website, Juve said of Buffon: ‘A legend. A player, who is simply, infinite.’
While the goalkeeper spent a year away from Juve at PSG last season, Chiellini will soon be entering his 16th straight season in the club’s black and white colours.
Juve said: ‘Giorgio Chiellini and the Old Lady is a love that continues,’ before going on to note: ‘Chiellini’s attachment to the shirt, is determination and humanity, it is professionalism, passion and leadership. It is a leadership that is testified by the captain’s armband he sports on his arm.’
