Gianluigi Buffon on Italy, their last-16 meeting with Switzerland and EURO 2024's top goalkeepers

As Gianluigi Donnarumma and Luciano Spalletti addressed the media ahead of Matchday 1, eyes on the fringes in the media room were trained not on the stage but on the back of the room. There, attempting to be as inconspicuous as a 1.92m man wearing sunglasses can, sat Gianluigi Buffon, present in his role as the Azzurri's head of delegation.

Ahead of Saturday's UEFA EURO 2024 round of 16 tie against Switzerland, the Italy goalkeeping great sat down with EURO2024.com to discuss Italy's progress and which goalkeepers have impressed him here in Germany.

What positives can Italy take from the group stage?

I definitely appreciated the sacrifice, the group identity, the character, our goalkeeper. How the guys faced the challenges with determination and heart. I really liked the work of our coach. I have to say we're doing our best to reach our peak. We haven't reached it yet, but they are pushing to get there.

What has been missing so far in Germany?

That turning point, the game that gives you confidence, faith, enthusiasm. Riding the wave of the late goal against Croatia, we can certainly go into what will be a very difficult game against Switzerland with hope. We can use the rush of adrenaline and enthusiasm that the Croatia game gave us.

How good has the support for Italy been in Germany?

It's been incredible seeing all these people, these supporters, with their sense of identity. Sometimes their support is so strong you almost feel uncomfortable, like you don't deserve it. You're somehow disoriented by that a bit. But, as much as we can do, we're trying to give them some satisfaction.

Who are the main revelations of the tournament so far, speaking about the other teams?

I was definitely surprised by the Spanish wide guys (Lamine Yamal and Nico Williams). I obviously knew of them but I'd never seen them in person; they clearly have something special. From what I've seen on TV, Germany have some talents who offer hope for the future. Portugal have a strong team, and France have a very experienced coach and excellent individuals.

What do you expect in the round of 16?

Switzerland are tough, really difficult to beat even if sometimes they have problems winning. Matches against them are always well balanced. When I look at Switzerland, they remind me of a side like Sweden... their performances are always so consistent.

It will be a big battle between two supreme goalkeepers: Yann Sommer and Gianluigi Donnarumma…

Gigio [Donnarumma] has been giving Italy a big hand at this tournament. It's important to recognise and give credit to those who are doing something special. And he has been doing something truly special and giving us a big hand.

Sommer is another of those goalkeepers who has consistently produced really high-level performances over the past few years. He has become one of the world's leading goalkeepers.

I've also seen other very good goalkeepers at this tournament. I like the one from Georgia [Giorgi Mamardashvili] a lot. I also liked the Croatian goalkeeper [Dominik Livaković]. And then there are the usual suspects, like [Manuel] Neuer. But given the choice, I'd pick Gigio every time.