If Gianluigi Buffon thought his homecoming to Parma would be a glorious occasion, the club’s ultras have quickly put paid to that notion.
Buffon burst onto the Serie A scene with the club as a 17-year-old, however, he soon left for the relative riches of Juventus, where he’s enjoyed a storied and trophy-laden career.
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A one-season stint at Paris Saint-Germain notwithstanding, Buffon is now back at the club that he first played for 26 years ago, and joins as a 43-year-old veteran.
It’s a real good news story, however, the ultras have taken none to kindly to the news, unfurling a huge banner outside the ground.
Parma ultras to Buffon: “You left like a mercenary you can’t come back like a hero. Honor the shirt” https://t.co/POS7vbAAOR
— Siavoush Fallahi (@SiavoushF) June 18, 2021
‘You left like a mercenary you can’t come back like a hero. Honour the shirt,’ it read.
The tone and inference is clear, and will surely have put a dampener on the homecoming.
One can only speculate that if Buffon fails to do the business each week between the sticks, how he may be received by Parma’s most hardcore supporters.