Gianluigi Buffon:
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As possibly the greatest goalkeeper to ever grace a football pitch, Buffon is indeed a role model for most footballers, irrespective of day and age. The drive he has shown through the length of his career is probably unmatched in the history of the game.
So long has he been at the very pinnacle of goalkeeping that it is difficult for most fans to remember a time when he was not among the very best in the world. And yet, there is one trophy that has forever eluded him: the Champions League title.
Not for the lack of trying on his account. He has made it to the final on 2 occasions, but in 2003, he was thwarted in the heartbreak of a penalty shootout, losing 3-2 to Milan. While in 2015, despite keeping out several blockbuster shots that most goalkeepers could not have, he could not prevent Juve getting soundly beaten 3-1 to a rampaging Barcelona.
During this while, he has seen all the highs and lows of football. From winning 2 successive league titles, to having them revoked by the Italian FA because of the Calciopoli scam and getting relegated to Serie B. And then getting back up to relevance, Champions League football and eventually now winning 4 Serie A titles on the trot as the best goalkeeper of the league.
Of all the decisions and achievements of his career, his decision to stick with Juve even after their relegation has to stand out as an example to every footballer. Indeed, if he can accept the mediocrity of having to play for a tainted club in Serie B straight after a World Cup triumph, surely Messi can stop whining and play for Argentina once again.
