Buffon set to hang up his gloves 

According to Italian sports journalist Gianluca Di Marzio, Parma goalkeeper Gianluigi Buffon is set to retire from professional football. 

The former Italy and Juventus goalkeeper returned to Parma, his boyhood club, for a second stint in 2021 and agreed to a contract extension with the Serie B in February 2022 which would've made him stay at the club till next summer but the 45-year-old has decided to call it quits ahead of the 2023-24 season.

Buffon began his career at Parma in 1995 and made 220 appearances for the club before playing 43 times in his second stint. 

In 2001, Buffon then joined Juventus for a record fee of €52 million which was then the highest transfer fee paid for a goalkeeper. The record stood for almost 17 years Liverpool signed Brazilian goalkeeper Alisson for €62.5 million in the 2018-19 season before Chelsea swooped in for Kepa Arrizabalaga for a record €80 million in the same season.

The Italian spent 17 years at Juventus where he won the Serie A title 10 times. 

Buffon's 28-year career earned 176 caps for Italy which made him his country's record appearance-maker. He inspired the Azzurri to a FIFA World Cup triumph in 2006.

Overall, he made 975 appearances and kept 429 cleansheets.