Gianluigi Buffon’s son, Louis, has made a bold decision to represent the Czech Republic at international level, instead of following in his legendary father’s footsteps with Italy. The 17-year-old is determined to carve out his own career, one that would make Buffon senior proud - especially after his father’s remarkable 176 appearances for the Azzurri resulted in the 2006 World Cup win.
Rather than following his father's path, Louis has chosen to represent the Czech Republic, his mother's homeland, where Alena Seredova hails from. Just this month, Louis made his first-team debut for Pisa in Serie B, playing under his father’s former Italy teammate, Filippo Inzaghi.
As a reward for his rapid development, which has seen Louis notch six goals in his first 20 appearances for the Pisa Under-19s side, he received his first call-up to the Czech Under-18s squad. This week, the youth team will face England and Portugal, and the young forward will be eager to leave his mark on the international stage.
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Buffon's Son Explains Reason Behind Czech Republic Pledge
The family agreed it was the best decision for his development
Louis Buffon
Upon receiving his maiden call-up, Louis explained his decision to the Czech media team. As per The Sun, he said: "I was very happy to come to the meeting and curious about the different football culture.
"I spoke with my family, and together we decided that it would be better for my football career and my development as a player to play for the Czech Republic. My mother, of course, was very happy, but my father was also excited because it was my first call-up for the national team."
Born and raised in Italy, the teenager confessed that he wasn't fully fluent in the language. However, with his new path ahead, he’s more than ready to put in the effort and make the necessary strides. He continued: "I don’t speak Czech very well yet, but as soon as I found out I could come here, I started learning it. I spend about 10 minutes on Duolingo every day."
Louis could come up against the country of his birth while playing for the Czech Republic. But he claims that he would not treat such a match any differently. "I was born and raised in Italy, but I think that in order to be a 100 per cent professional and do my job as well as possible, every match has to be important for me, whether it is against Italy or any other national team."