Buffon: Italy will need ‘a bit of arrogance’ in World Cup qualifiers | OneFootball

Italy’s Delegation Chief Gigi Buffon feels the Azzurri will need to show ‘a bit of arrogance’ in the World Cup qualifiers, especially in a big game against Erling Haaland’s Norway in June.

The Azzurri begin their World Cup qualification journey on June 6, visiting Norway, who have already won the opening two games in Group I.

“There’s a World Cup to qualify for, that’s the primary goal,” Buffon told reporters at Coverciano on Monday via TMW.

Buffon: Italy will need ‘a bit of arrogance’ in World Cup qualifiers

MILAN, ITALY – MARCH 20: Luciano Spalletti, Head Coach of Italy, applauds prior to the UEFA Nations League quarterfinal leg one match between Italy and Germany at Stadio San Siro on March 20, 2025 in Milan, Italy. (Photo by Alessandro Sabattini/Getty Images)

“There will be a significant match in June. At some point, you have to show a bit of healthy madness and a bit of arrogance that makes us say ‘We are Italy’ just as we did in France after the Euros. We have to show up and say: ‘We want the World Cup, regardless of you.'”

The Azzurri reacted to a disappointing Euro 2024 exit by beating France in the Nations League in September, but were later eliminated by Germany in the quarter-finals.

Today, Buffon received a career award from USSI in Florence.

“My gratitude goes to football and the world of the game,” he added.

“I only found true happiness on the pitch; it was where I could truly express myself. Then there’s life, where you try not to cause damage and be the right kind of example. This is the legacy that Gigi Riva and Gianluca Vialli left as the Azzurri Delegation Chiefs.”

Riva was Italy’s Delegation Chief at the 2006 World Cup, which Buffon won with the Azzurri, while Vialli covered the same role during the 2020 Euros, joining the backroom staff led by coach Roberto Mancini, his closest friend and a former Sampdoria teammate.

“There are only a few people in football that I admire on a human level, and Riva and Viall were extraordinary examples,” concluded Buffon.

“I have to stay calm, I could never come close to equalling or even surpassing them. They always taught me to give what I have, and I do it without any mask. I hope it’s enough.”

Atalanta coach Gian Piero Gasperini was named the best Serie A coach in 2023-24 by USSI today.