Watching Gigi Buffon daintily sipping from a doll's tea set is definitely up there with one of the best (and most surreal) moments in FourFourTwo history, but the Italian World Cup winner was more than happy to play along as we riffed on the idea of him being a giant of the game.
Our celebration of football's greatest glovemen also features exclusive interviews with Liverpool's latest No.1 Alisson, Atletico Madrid netminder Jan Oblak and England hero Jordan Pickford, as well as legendary quartet Dino Zoff, Claudio Taffarel, Jan Tomaszewski and John Burridge.
Elsewhere, former Aston Villa custodian Mark Bosnich comes clean about cocaine, strip clubs and that salute in a frank and honest One-on-One, Helmuth Duckadam tells us about the time he saved four Barcelona penalties to win the European Cup for Steaua Bucharest, and the Scorpion King, Original Pie-eater and Holy Goalie all pop up in our search for the maddest of the mad.
Pick up a copy from Wednesday! You'd have to be mad to miss out...
Gianluigi Buffon
So who better to front our goalkeepers issue than Superman himself? Gigi opens up about the perils of social media and being the last of the ‘proper’ stoppers. Legends don't come much bigger.
Alisson
Last May’s Champions League final highlighted Liverpool’s need for a top keeper. Enter Brazil’s Alisson. The Reds’ new stopper shows off his fancy footwork while talking Karius, Klopp and the Kop.
Jan Oblak
You might not recognise the face but you should know the name. Jan Oblak’s numbers for Atletico Madrid are so good they can look like a typo – in his opening 125 La Liga games, the giant Slovenian kept 73 clean sheets. No wonder the world’s top clubs are watching. We chat to find out what makes him tick...
Jordan Pickford
Jordan Pickford isn’t lacking in confidence – that’s why he wasn’t perturbed when his England pals teased his north-eastern dialect. Or when his country needed him to end their penalty hoodoo. Yes!
Helmuth Duckadam
His career should have taken off after his heroics denied Barcelona in 1986. But with rumours lingering of a violent intervention by Romania’s communist rulers, Duckadam disappeared from view. The man himself reveals what happened next.
Amadeo Carrizo
Now 92, the River Plate icon was South America’s original bonkers goalkeeper, inspiring everyone from Higuita to Chilavert – though not everyone was impressed with his showboating.
Maddest keepers
‘You don’t have to be crazy to be a keeper, but it helps.’ Well, the former may be true, but going by this weapon-hoarding, art-loving, meat-stealing bunch, the latter is less obvious...
One-on-One: Mark Bosnich
The former Aston Villa keeper reveals if Fergie ever gave him the hairdryer, if it was really a ‘Basil Fawlty impression’ against Spurs, and how he ended up getting hooked on cocaine.
Upfront
Ante Rebic discusses his World Cup heroics for Croatia, Jack Wilshere talks FFT through his stunner against Slovenia, and former Liverpool full-back John Arne Riise on breaking kids’ noses at school…
Action Replay
Arsenal caused a stir when they replaced Billy Wright with physio Bertie Mee in 1966, so how did he go from medicine man to legendary Gunners gaffer? Plus, we learn the bizarre history of Bristol Rovers, remember Rotherham’s former home, and showcase some classic Everton programmes.
The Mixer
Phwoooooar! Must-have clobber, including a Ceefax scarf and a leopard print Man United shirt.
The February 2019 issue of FourFourTwo is brought to you by: Mark Bosnich, John Arne Riise, Paul Ince, Ante Rebic, Jack Wilshere, Gianluigi Buffon, Alisson, Jan Oblak, Jordan Pickford, Helmuth Duckadam, Amadeo Carrizo, Claudio Taffarel, Dino Zoff, Jan Tomaszewski and John Burridge.
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