The explosive winger had a promising debut season at Allianz Arena before going on to shine at Euro 2020.
Federico Chiesa is a “really special” player, says Gianluigi Buffon after admitting to not rating him highly upon his arrival to Juventus.
Chiesa joined Juventus on a two-year loan deal last summer from Fiorentina, who negotiated a €40 million buyout option in the final agreement.
His debut evoked mixed feelings among the Juve supporters. While the 23-year-old was able to make a quick impact by setting up the winning goal in the 1-1 Serie A draw to Crotone, he also got sent off for an illegal challenge.
However, he didn’t let the setback get to him as the forward went on to have a quite productive season, scoring 15 goals and supplying 11 assists in 46 games in all competitions.
The Italy international further rose to prominence in this summers’ European Championship with his eye-catching performances en route to his nation’s glory.
“When he arrived at Juve I didn’t think he was so good. I am honest,” admitted Buffon, speaking to Gazzetta dello Sport.
“In the European Championship he was unbelievable, in the final match with England, it was impossible to stop him.
“After a season at Juve with Federico it is no longer a surprise for me, but it was not obvious that he would be able to play at such a high level in a tournament like the European Championship.
“If you do those things at such a high level, then it means that you are really special.”
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