Sportskeeda's Top 10 iconic football moments of 2017

#7 The tears of Gianluigi Buffon

Gianluigi Buffon can't hold his tears back as Sweden prevent Italy from reaching Russia 2018

“I’m sorry. I’m sorry. Not for me, though, but for [Italy]. I’m sorry that we failed at something that could have also been important on a social level. That’s the only regret I have."

While the incompetent Giampiero Ventura ducked post-match interviews and avoided the press completely, Gianluigi Buffon stepped up to the make, eyes filled with tears, and issued a heartfelt apology to the 60,000 gathered at the San Siro - and the millions more watching at home - Italy had failed to qualify to the World Cup for the first time since 1958 and the world's favourite footballer couldn't hold back his emotions - not at his own disappointment, but because he felt he and his team had let his nation down.

It takes balls to man up and apologise - on behalf of others at that, Gigi himself did little wrong over the 180 minutes - but if there's anything we've learned in the two decades of watching Gianluigi Buffon masquerade as Superman in goal for Italy, Parma, and Juventus it's that the man has balls of steel.

And that we're lucky to have witnessed his career unfold in front of us.

Grazie Gigi. Do not cry.

P.S. Daniele De Rossi having a go at Ventura's staff for asking him to warm up instead of Lorenzo Insigne has to rank up there with the best things we've seen on the touchline ("send him on, not me. We need a win, not a draw")...

...while his gesture of clambering aboard the Swedish bus to apologise on behalf of the San Siro (who booed the Swedish national anthem) highlighted just what made this last generation of Italian footballers such charismatic characters.

They will be missed in Russia.