Gianluigi Buffon insists his Juventus side lost to the 'world's best team' in their 3-1 Champions League defeat against Barcelona after the Italian champions were outgunned.
For the 37-year-old goalkeeper it was a second Champions League final disappointment as he also tasted defeat to AC Milan in the 2003 final.
The Italy international kept his side in the game with a string of superb saves, which for a while held Barcelona's star-studded attack at bay.
After Ivan Rakitic gave Barcelona an early lead in Berlin on Saturday, Juventus drew level with an Alvaro Morata second-half equaliser.
Juventus missed out on a third European crown as Luis Suarez put Barca ahead in the second-half, with Neymar scoring Barca's third with the last kick of the game.
Buffon says Juventus started to believe they could win the final after Morata's 55th minute goal, only for Barcelona to pull away and prove their status as Europe's top team.
"There was a moment, a 10-minute spell, when we thought we had the match in our hands and that's exactly when we lost it," rued the Juventus captain as Barcelona claimed the treble with their fifth European title.
"It would have been an extraordinary result.
"We didn't manage to win, but not because we didn't' try: we gave everything we had.
"Barcelona are the best team in the world in my opinion, but we have proved that we could compete."
Having steered Juventus to the Italian league and cup double on his first season in charge, their coach Massimiliano Allegri says his target is to now to defend the Serie A title and keep them among the top eight sides in Europe.
Buffon echoed those sentiments and says the team has a bright future.
"We conceded early on, but we were always in the game.
"This performance gives us hope and confidence.
"We can make sure we stay at this level next season and within the next two or three years – who knows? – maybe I'll manage to make some other dreams come true."
0 comments:
Post a Comment