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Prosecutor Martina: "Dzeko had signed for Juventus. Buffon is better as a manager than as a goalkeeper"

The long-standing agent of the Bosnian striker and former captain of Juventus and the Italian national team speaks out

Former goalkeeper Silvano Martina, long-time agent to stars such as Edin Dzeko and Gigi Buffon, speaks to La Stampa.

The former goalkeeper for Genoa, Torino and Lazio starts with Dzeko, who on Tuesday will face Italy with Bosnia in the World Cup play-off final: “Dzeko a driving force at 40? He’s still playing at this age because he’s got class and is an incredible professional. He always runs a lot: he still covers more than 10 kilometres a match. Clearly he’s lost a bit of his edge, but if he gets the right ball, he puts it in the net. He’ll feel this match in a special way.”

"DZEKO HAD ALREADY SIGNED FOR JUVENTUS"
Martina reveals the inside story: "He was on the verge of joining Juve in 2020; he’d already signed. Everything was sorted with Paratici. But Roma called and said they wouldn’t let him go after all, as Milik hadn’t passed his medical and so they wouldn’t have a replacement. He then joined Inter on a free transfer at the end of the season. Paratici, however, couldn’t wait and sealed the deal with Morata."

"BUFFON IS STRONGER NOW THAN HE WAS AS A GOALKEEPER"
Finally, on Buffon, the current head of the national team delegation: "Buffon’s presence is absolutely vital for the national team. I would even go sofar as to say that he is even stronger in that role than he was when he was in goal. When he speaks to the players, he knows exactly the right buttons to press."

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"DZEKO HAD ALREADY SIGNED FOR JUVENTUS"

"BUFFON IS STRONGER NOW THAN HE WAS AS A GOALKEEPER"

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