Gianluigi Buffon has revealed that he could have moved to Roma before joining Juventus but Giallorossi President Franco Sensi opted to sign Ivan Pelizzoli instead.
The Bianconeri goalkeeper, widely regarded as the best shot-stopper in the world, joined La Vecchia Signora from Parma in 2001 for a world-record goalkeeper’s fee of £32m.
At the time Roma were also searching for a new man between the sticks to challenge Francesco Antonioli. In the end Sensi decided to plump for 20-year-old Atalanta youngster Ivan Pelizzoli, who at the time was regarded as one of the best young keepers in Europe. PelizzoliÂ’s time in Rome was a complete disaster and his career has since nosedived.
“When I decided to leave Parma, I wanted to come to Rome and not Turin,” revealed Buffon.
“However Sensi preferred Pelizzoli because he was younger.”
