Juventus and Italy goalkeeper Gianluigi Buffon has for the first time spoken about a bout of clinical depression he suffered four years ago.
The depression lasted from late 2003 until summer 2004 when he came out of it during a European championship match, Buffon says in an autobiography written after his 30th birthday in January, 'Numero 1'.
''From December 2003 until June 2004 I fell into depression and was treated by a psychologist,'' Buffon told La Stampa Thursday, talking about his book.
''I never understood why it happened to me then...My legs started to shake suddenly. It was a very dark period because I'm a sunny and optimistic person''.
Buffon didn't stop playing while fighting the illness and was selected to play for Italy in the 2004 European championships - although he now reveals that he was reluctant to go.
He emerged from the depression during Italy's disappointing opening 0-0 draw with Denmark, a match remembered for a spitting incident involving AS Roma's Francesco Totti.
''It happened quite suddenly, in the place where I had been afraid of going, Euro 2004 in Portugal. During Italy-Denmark, a horrible match, I was the only one smiling''.
Buffon made a string of key saves in the game to keep Italy's qualification hopes up but they failed to make it out of the group.
The Juve keeper has not suffered from depression since and has been happier than ever since the birth of his first child a year ago with his companion Alena Seredova, the Czech top model.
