Italian goalkeeping legend Gianluigi Buffon is set to retire from football at the end of the season.
The Juventus stopper made the announcement on Tuesday, 24 hours after being named best goalkeeper of 2017 at the Best Fifa Awards in London, getting 42% of the vote.
Like a fine Italian wine Buffon has got better with age and was once again central to a tenth Serie A title with Juventus last season.
The 39 year old will break through the 500 appearances mark for Juve this season, just five short of that total at the time of the announcement.
During his career he has won 10 Serie A titles, four Coppa Italia's and six Supercoppa's with one a piece when playing for his first club Parma, where he also won a UEFA Cup in 1999.
Add a World Cup in 2006 with Italy where he has played 173 times in career spanning twenty years.
The Champions League is the one major title alluding the Italian, a beaten finalist on three occasions including in last season's final to Real Madrid.
Buffon will be between the sticks for Italy when they play-off for a place in the World Cup next summer in Russia against Sweden next month.
Italy are favourites to progress and it could be that Buffon bows out on the biggest stage of all.
END OF AN ERA!
