Gianluigi Buffon was a professional soccer player.
The team captain of an association football team , sometimes known as the skipper , is a team member chosen to be the on-pitch leader of the team : it is often one of the older or more experienced members of the squad , or a player that can heavily influence a game . Gianluigi Buffon . He has also represented Italy at four European Championships , at the 1996 Olympics , and at two FIFA Confederations Cups , winning a bronze medal in the 2013 edition of the tournament . The Italian national football team ( Nazionale di calcio italiana ) represents Italy in association football and is controlled by the Italian Football Federation ( FIGC ) , the governing body for football in Italy . The UEFA European Championship ( known informally as the Euros ) is the primary association football competition contested by the senior men 's national teams of the members of the Union of European Football Associations ( UEFA ) , determining the continental champion of Europe .