Replacing you might not be a great idea! – Buffon grateful for Rakitic tribute

Ivan Rakitic spoke for a generation of football fans when he described the difficulty of witnessing Gianluigi Buffon's international heartbreak, but his offer of a place in Croatia's midfield has been kindly rejected by the Italy great.

Buffon's 175-cap career for the Azzurri ended in tears as Italy missed out on the World Cup for the first time in 60 years following a play-off defeat to Sweden.

Thank you for reading 5 articles this month* Join now for unlimited access

Enjoy your first month for just £1 / $1 / €1

*Read 5 free articles per month without a subscription

Join now for unlimited access

Try first month for just £1 / $1 / €1