Behind the scenes of my unforgettable assignment with Gianluigi Buffon
Last month, I found myself standing next to Gianluigi ‘Gigi’ Buffon, one of the greatest goalkeepers in footballing history, about to go on stage together at the sell-out event at St Martin-in-the-Fields in London.
Beyond the door, 600 football lovers were eagerly waiting to hear Gigi share his life story.
My heart was pounding as I followed Gigi onto the stage. He turned to me and winked, as if to say “we’ve got this!”
“Hello, London!” he announced to the crowd, before explaining that was the only English he’d be speaking that evening, and I would be interpreting for him.
As I whispered the interviewer’s first question in Gigi’s ear, my nerves vanished and were replaced by a sense of calm focus.
I’ve interpreted for many high-profile people over the years. Actors, politicians, entrepreneurs – even two Popes. But interpreting on stage in front of 600 people is something else. It was a performance, and I had to play my part in charming and entertaining the audience who had paid to be there.
The stakes are even higher in the age of the smartphone, as everything can be filmed and shared online. There’s no room for mistakes.
It took a lot of courage to take on such a high-profile assignment. But I prepared exhaustively, and deep down I knew I could do the job, even if it scared me.
When I stepped on stage, I stopped thinking about Gigi as a celebrity. He was a human being there to tell a story, and it was my job to share his message in the most empathetic possible way.
The invitation
This story began back in February, when I received a message from a London-based events organisation, asking whether I might be available in April for a live event in London with Gianluigi Buffon. They’d found me via a Google Ad, and had been impressed enough by my website to get in touch.
I couldn’t send a formal email right away because I was on my way to an assignment, so I replied with a quick voice note, saying I would be delighted to help. This was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity I did not want to miss!
We later had a meeting where I shared all my football-related experience, from the World Cup in 2002 to interpreting for SSC Napoli chairman Aurelio De Laurentiis at FT’s Business of Football Summit in 2024. They hired me for the job and also recommended me to Penguin, the publishers of the English edition of Gigi’s memoir, Saved.
Penguin hired me to work with Gigi the day after the event, when he’d be interviewed for The Guardian’s newspaper and football podcast. So an evening gig turned into a two-day assignment.
Next came the preparation.
The preparation
I read Saved, the memoir Gigi was promoting, several times (in English, since this is how I’d be sharing his words). I watched interviews on YouTube and clips of his greatest saves.
I learned everything I could about his career, his private life, his business interests, his childhood, his time at Parma, Juventus, Paris Saint-Germain and the Italian national team. I wanted to know everything about him and be fully immersed in the content.
On the day of the event, I met Gigi at our hotel for an initial chat. In my experience, celebrities can sometimes be a little aloof, but Gigi was a delight: warm, friendly and full of enthusiasm for the task ahead.
We headed to the venue where Gigi cheerfully signed 180 books so they would be ready for audience members who’d pre-ordered them.
After a soundcheck, it was time.
On stage with Gigi
Football journalist Nicky Bandini led the interview beautifully. I whispered her questions into Gigi’s ear in Italian, then interpreted his answers back into English for the audience.
I had asked him beforehand to just say two or three sentences at a time so I could interpret them in stages – but of course, he was speaking so passionately, he completely forgot!
So I had to interpret as many as ten sentences at once, my pen speeding across my notebook as I tried to capture everything he said.
But it worked. The atmosphere was amazing. There was such warmth from the public, and a lovely chemistry on stage between Gigi, Nicky and me. He was kind, funny, human, humble and very down to earth.
The conversation moved far beyond football. Of course, there was much talk of his experiences as the world’s most capped goalkeeper: the 2006 World Cup, his favourite saves, the stadiums that had left the biggest impression on him. I could sense that for many people in the room, their own memories of these events were just as vivid.
But he also spoke very frankly about his challenges, including bouts of depression and stress-induced panic attacks. In Italian, the book’s title is Cadere, Rialzarsi, Cadere, Rialzarsi, which means “to fall, to rise, to fall, to rise”.
The overarching message is resilience: whenever you hit a low, find the energy to stand up, get back out there and start again.
His openness made the evening so powerful. Here was a man the football press called “Superman,” speaking honestly about the human being behind the myth.
I started the evening feeling so nervous, but by the time we reached the audience Q&A, I was actually enjoying myself. I was so absorbed in the conversation that I was disappointed when we ran out of time for more questions, as I didn’t want the experience to end.
At the end, something lovely happened. The audience applauded Gigi, but then there was also applause just for me!
I was so grateful. We interpreters are often behind the scenes, working unseen. So to have that acknowledgement after such an intense and memorable evening was very special.
The next day at The Guardian
The next day, we headed to The Guardian’s offices in King’s Cross for the Football Weekly podcast with Barry Glendenning and Nicky Bandini.
This was a much more intimate conversation. I sat off camera opposite Gigi, translating the journalist’s questions into Italian and translating his answers back into English for the journalists.
I filled two large notebooks as he talked about everything from football to art, fatherhood, and the deeper meaning behind his experiences on and off the pitch.
You can watch the podcast on YouTube. They’ve edited out my translation and replaced it with subtitles, but it’s still an hour long, which gives you an idea of how in-depth the conversation was.
After lunch, we returned to The Guardian for a photo shoot and an interview with Don McRae, who very aptly described Gigi as a “cheerful force of good will” in his article.
After a whirlwind two days, Gigi went back to Italy, and I went back to my life. I received some fabulous testimonials from my clients: Barry Glendenning very kindly described me as a “virtuoso”, while Elise at Penguin called me “utterly perfect” – how lovely is that?!
I even made an appearance on Gigi’s Instagram, which has 11.1 million followers.
What this assignment taught me
This has been, without doubt, one of the highlights of my career. Interpreting work isn’t always this glamorous, but if you work hard to build your online reputation, exciting opportunities will come your way.
One assignment often leads to another. Each experience builds your credibility, expands your network, and, gradually, you find yourself being trusted with more prestigious work.
So the next time an exciting but nerve-racking opportunity comes your way, I urge you to gather up your courage and step boldly outside your comfort zone. I promise you, you’ll be glad that ‘felt the fear and did it anyway’. You may even find you enjoy yourself!