Becoming Superman

Sunday, 19th November 1995, in the typically quiet setting of Parma, Italian football would change forever. Fabio Capello's Milan was in town, and not just any Milan; this was a star-studded, soon-to-be Scudetto-winning Milan. Anytime that former Balon d'Or winner Roberto Baggio and soon-to-be winner George Weah are visiting, the home team could expect a long afternoon.

Milan were coming off the back of three league titles in the past four seasons. They represented everything that made calcio great in the 90s. Superstar players, iconic coaches and maverick leadership off the pitch.

Parma could stake its own claim to being known as "the team of the 90s", but for slightly different reasons. It's easy to look back and see that by this point, they had won two UEFA Cups and a Cup Winners' Cup, but just five seasons prior, they were in Serie B. So, although they knew how to deliver when it counted, they still had to prove their credentials domestically against the legacy clubs. Disrupting the status quo is one thing; consistently overachieving whilst taking points, trophies, and talent away from the northern giants was another.

When Nevio Scala, Parma's then manager, approached a 17-year-old goalkeeper after training to ask him, "If I put you in my starting XI tomorrow, would you be up to it?" to start against arguably the best team in Europe, few would have expected such an assured response.

"Of course, boss, if I wasn’t, what would I be doing here?"

This conversation led to the introduction of one of Italy's most influential players of the next 25 years. It is easy looking back to understand why Gianluigi Buffon was so successful, but those lucky enough to be in attendance that afternoon at the Stadio Tardini got a glimpse of what was to come.

Buffon didn’t just fill in; he made a statement of intent. His athleticism, confidence and reliability are consistent features of his long and successful career. He was everywhere that Parma needed him that day, claiming crosses, assured in his distribution, and a memorable save from Robert Baggio's flicked header, which would leave the former Balon d'Or winner looking bewildered towards teammates and the Milan bench. Baggio must have been wondering, Who is this kid?

Having started this round of the season as the third-choice goalkeeper, you can bet that by the end of it, Gigi had his sights firmly set on Lucca Bucci's number 1 shirt. Buffon had just delivered a clean sheet in a 0-0 draw against one of the teams of the 90s.

The nickname Superman hadn't stuck yet, but even watching back the highlights of this performance 30 years on, the signs were there to see. Gianuigi Buffon is not credited with "changing goalkeeping" in the same way that modern goalkeepers are, but it is hard to recall a more adaptable player. This debut was about explosiveness, bravery and assurance. It is easy to be explosive at 17, but for a career that would go on for a further 25+ years, Gigi had to adapt both mentally and physically.

Every player's career has to start somewhere, but few can say that it started in the toughest league in the world, against the toughest opposition possible. This was the start of a legacy, with even greater heights to reach.