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2006 FIFA World Cup Winner Gianluigi Buffon visits Charles Leclerc and Carlos Sainz ahead of Italian GP

Somin Bhattacharjee
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2006 FIFA World Cup Winner Gianluigi Buffon visits Charles Leclerc and Carlos Sainz ahead of Italian GP

Gianluigi Buffon paid a visit to the Ferrari duo of Charles Leclerc and Carlos Sainz ahead of the Italian GP in Monza. 

Buffon is one of the greatest goalkeepers of all time. The 44-year-old has won a total of 10 Italian top flight Championships among numerous other accolades in his illustrious football career. His best achievement to date, however, was winning the 2006 FIFA World Cup with Italy

He spent most of his career with Juventus and his boyhood club Parma but also spent a season with Paris Saint-German. Even at this age, he is showing no sign of slowing down as he signed a multi-year deal with Parma last year.

 

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Buffon, a legend of Italian sports, paid a visit to a team with a very similar status in the country. Ferrari are gearing up for their home race in Monza this weekend, and the entire country is backing them to get back to winning ways. Buffon himself paid a visit to the team’s garage ahead of FP3 on Saturday.

This wasn’t the first time a Juventus legend came to visit the Scuderia. Last year, we saw one of the greatest of all time, Cristiano Ronaldo pay a visit to their headquarters in Maranello.

Also read: Why is Alex Albon out: Why Williams F1 star won’t race this weekend

Charles Leclerc and Carlos Sainz hope to get back to winning ways

It has been a difficult last few months for Ferrari. They went off to a flying start this campaign, winning two of the first three races. Since then, however, a mix of bad luck and poor strategy calls have seen them slip out of the Title race altogether.

Leclerc hasn’t won a race since the Austrian GP and Sainz has only one win which came in Silverstone in July. In terms of performance, Red Bull have made a huge leap over the Italian outfit and are arguably the strongest car right now.

Ferrari, meanwhile, are in danger of losing P2 in the Constructors’ Championship to Mercedes who are breathing down their necks. As a result, both Sainz and Leclerc will be hoping for a strong performance this weekend.

A win will ease the pain and disappointment the Tifosi have gone through over the last few months. On top that, they need to create a bit of breathing space between themselves and the Silver Arrows in the standings.

Also read: 80 Dutch Max Verstappen fans caught building illegal grandstand in Monza ahead of Italian GP

About the author

Somin Bhattacharjee

Somin Bhattacharjee

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Formula 1 Editor Somin Bhattacharjee fell for the sport as well as Fernando Alonso on the same day — during the Spaniard’s thrilling victory at the German GP in 2010. Over the years, the passion magnified manyfold, and metamorphosed into a writing career in 2021. Though holding a bachelor's degree in marketing, Somin discovered his true calling in writing. He has penned over 2,700 articles for TheSportsRush, presenting a diverse range — news reports, opinions, and exclusives. A true Tiffosi, Somin never gives up on a chance to defend the Ferrari boys as a fan. As a sports writer though, he remains objective to the core and relishes opportunities to follow and engage in dissecting the action during races. That’s where the real thrill lies for him. Beyond the racetrack, Somin plays different sports including soccer. He enjoys exploring other sporting events and proudly supports Spanish soccer club Real Madrid.

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