Gianluigi Buffon penned a touching farewell to supporters ahead of his final game for the Old Lady on Saturday.
The champions host Verona and it will bring to an end Buffon's 17-year trophy-laden career in Turin.
But despite departing the club aged 40, the goalkeeping icon is yet to decide his next move as he insists he has received some 'exciting challenges' to play on away from the Bianconeri.
'Six thousand, one hundred eleven days. Six thousand moments of pure passion. Of joy, of tears, of defeat and of victories. Thank you,' Buffon begins.
'With tomorrow, a journey ends. A book closes that we wrote together. There is a lot of emotion. Too much.
'Inevitably, a new journey will begin. A new book. It has to begin.
'Juve are a family. My family. And I will never stop loving it, thanking it and calling it "home." Because it gave me so much. Everything. Certainly more than I gave to it.'
BUFFON TRIBUTE TO FANS IN FULL
Six thousand, one hundred eleven days.
Six thousand moments of pure passion. Of joy, of tears, of defeat and of victories.
Thank you.
Thank you to each and every one of you.
Because each of you contributed to making every instant of my life in the Bianconeri jersey special. A life that has become a second skin.
A skin I wore, loved and respected. That I treasured and protected with all of myself. With all my limits, but also with all the passion that has always accompanied me.
With tomorrow, a journey ends. A book closes that we wrote together. There is a lot of emotion. Too much.
Inevitably, a new journey will begin. A new book. It has to begin.
For Juventus will remain beyond any player, always! And will continue to write important pages in its book, that I think and imagine will be infinite. Because this club has a unique DNA that cannot be equalled. It cannot be repeated and it is magnificent.
Juve are a family. My family. And I will never stop loving it, thanking it and calling it 'home.' Because it gave me so much. Everything. Certainly more than I gave to it.
Inevitably, a new journey will begin. A new book. It has to begin.
For I, who will learn to look at the future with different eyes.
Who will start to pick up new challenges that life offers me with the curiosity of who doesn't want to stop feeling in 'the game'. And who will feel the healthy fear of someone who experienced many challenges, at times won, many lost, but who is aware that every one is different to what came before.
And therefore more difficult.
I arrived at the stadium on my bicycle. I was so young.
And tomorrow I want to metaphorically walk away from there so I can savour every instant, feel the pain of the detachment. And the joy of the salutes.
To feel moved.
And to understand that I will never be far away from that place I call 'home' – for ever!
And to salute the teammates and friends who I will never stop calling BROTHERS.
Until the end! Forever yours,
Gianluigi Buffon
Six thousand, one hundred eleven days.
Six thousand moments of pure passion. Of joy, of tears, of defeat and of victories.
Thank you.
Thank you to each and every one of you.
Because each of you contributed to making every instant of my life in the Bianconeri jersey special. A life that has become a second skin.
A skin I wore, loved and respected. That I treasured and protected with all of myself. With all my limits, but also with all the passion that has always accompanied me.
With tomorrow, a journey ends. A book closes that we wrote together. There is a lot of emotion. Too much.
Inevitably, a new journey will begin. A new book. It has to begin.
For Juventus will remain beyond any player, always! And will continue to write important pages in its book, that I think and imagine will be infinite. Because this club has a unique DNA that cannot be equalled. It cannot be repeated and it is magnificent.
Juve are a family. My family. And I will never stop loving it, thanking it and calling it 'home.' Because it gave me so much. Everything. Certainly more than I gave to it.
Inevitably, a new journey will begin. A new book. It has to begin.
For I, who will learn to look at the future with different eyes.
Who will start to pick up new challenges that life offers me with the curiosity of who doesn't want to stop feeling in 'the game'. And who will feel the healthy fear of someone who experienced many challenges, at times won, many lost, but who is aware that every one is different to what came before.
And therefore more difficult.
I arrived at the stadium on my bicycle. I was so young.
And tomorrow I want to metaphorically walk away from there so I can savour every instant, feel the pain of the detachment. And the joy of the salutes.
To feel moved.
And to understand that I will never be far away from that place I call 'home' – for ever!
And to salute the teammates and friends who I will never stop calling BROTHERS.
Until the end! Forever yours,
Gianluigi Buffon
Read more: