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Check two more names off the list.
Juventus continue to roll through the names of players who they want to lock up with longer contracts. Last month it was French midfield dynamo Paul Pogba, now it's legendary captain and goalkeeper Gigi Buffon and defender Giorgio Chiellini who have put pen to paper on brand new contracts, as announced by club president Andrea Agnelli at a press conference on Thursday afternoon. Buffon, 36, and Chiellini, 30, have signed new deals that will keep them with the club through at least 2017 and 2018, respectively.
Agnelli: "@gianluigibuffon has extended his Juve contract until 2017, @chiellini until 2018." #GDay pic.twitter.com/4tjp3wxZ2w
— JuventusFC (@juventusfcen) November 20, 2014
Yep, all those press-conference-means-contract-extensions rumors we heard on Wednesday afternoon were pretty much dead on. Good job, Italian media. You've gotten one right.
Buffon, of course, is still in fine form despite being oh-so-close to officially reaching his late-30s. He wants to play in the 2018 World Cup in Russia, and this contract extension is the next step to ensure that he will be representing Juventus on Italy's roster. Many folks look at this not being Buffon's last contract — again, because he wants to play at the World Cup in 3 1/2 years time — and it's pretty logical to think that if he stays healthy, then he will likely be there along with the rest of his Azzurri teammates.
.@gianluigibuffon: "I want to continue performing to a high level, so that I can be an asset and a point of reference for the club." #GDay
— JuventusFC (@juventusfcen) November 20, 2014
Chiellini, who will be 34 years old by the time his new deal expires after the 2017-18 season, has been vice-captain behind Buffon for three years now. He's still just as important to Juventus' defense these days as he was when Juve came back from Serie B in 2007. It doesn't matter how he's playing form-wise, he will be looked upon, next to Buffon, to be Juventus' leader in the back. And for a vast majority of the time in Juve's current title-winning run, he's done just that.
Now we just have to figure out who will be next on the list to get a contract extension, right?
But seriously, Buffon and Chiellini locked up for the next two or three years at the very minimum? Yeah, I can dig it.
