The pair played together for Italy.
Buffon said at an awards function yesterday: "I was certainly not surprised by the man, as I was sure he would create that empathic link with his players, especially at Roma.
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But if there's one thing that surprised me, it's the fine way he managed to read some tactical situations during matches, the way he puts his team out in a way that gets the best out of the individual players.
"He deserves so much credit for all he is doing."