Buffon takes over from Fabio Cannavaro, who is suspended for Italy's Euro 2008 Group B qualifier against Georgia, and the Juventus keeper is looking forward to leading out the side in Genoa. "It is an achievement after ten years with the Azzurri," said the 29-year-old, who made his debut in an October 1997 play-off against Russia to help his country qualify for the FIFA World Cup in France."I hope to carry on playing international football for a long time. I don't think I'll keep going until I'm 40, but when people talk about the need to bring through a new generation of players, I don't think they're talking about me."
Buffon, who was recently voted into the FIFPro World XI despite spending last season in Serie B with Juve, is now focused on making sure his team reach next summer's finals in Austria and Switzerland. With the Azzurri second in Group B, one point behind leaders Scotland – whom they meet in Glasgow next month – and only one above third-placed France, victory against Georgia is essential.
"It's going to be tough to qualify, particularly because a few teams are making everything more difficult than we expected it to be," Buffon admitted. "On paper, we have two easy games [against Georgia and the Faroe Islands at home] and one difficult one in Scotland. For now, though, we can only think about beating Georgia. We will have plenty of time to think about the trip to Glasgow."
Source: UEFA
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