At 48, Gianluigi Buffon is going back to school.The legendary Italy and Juventus goalkeeper has already collected virtually every major honour the game has to offer, but there is one chapter of his life that was never properly completed. Now, almost three decades after leaving school behind, Buffon has decided to finally earn his high-school diploma.His destination is the Marconi institute in Piacenza, a place that is far from unfamiliar to him. During his early years as a professional footballer, Buffon took an eligibility exam there as an external candidate while studying towards the third year of an accounting course.🗣️ Gigi Buffon admits he paid a bribe to get his high school diploma:“I've made a lot of mistakes, especially, especially when I was young. What I'm least proud of is that I bought myself a diploma.I wouldn't do it again because there's a note of incorrectness and shortcuts… pic.twitter.com/DUC1hpgHq4— Football Talk (@FootballTalkHQ) February 11, 2024 This time, however, he intends to do things differently.The story dates back to 1996, when Buffon was just 18. At the time, the young goalkeeper bought a fake accounting diploma — a decision he would later describe as one of the biggest mistakes of his youth.“I made many mistakes, but the one I am least proud of is buying the diploma,” Buffon said in 2024. “I would never do it again. It was the wrong shortcut, and I am not a man who likes shortcuts.”Now, nearly 30 years later, Buffon is determined to put that chapter behind him the right way.His return to education will not mean spending every day behind a school desk. The Marconi institute is putting together a distance-learning programme tailored around his current commitments, with Buffon expected to take his final examination at the end of the academic year.##EDITORS_CHOICE##The former goalkeeper has already met the school's students and explained why he chose to return to education at this stage of his life. For Buffon, the decision is personal, but it is also about the example he wants to set for his children — and for others watching his journey.There is also a broader message behind his decision. Buffon wants to challenge the long-standing stereotype of the “ignorant footballer”, a label he believes can continue to follow players even long after they have hung up their boots.After conquering almost everything on the football pitch, Buffon is now taking on a very different kind of challenge — one he intends to complete without taking any shortcuts.##NAJAVA_MECA_9968600##