The winter of 1992 struck Florence with unusual harshness. Pablo Lombardi walked through the corridors of Campo di Marte, Fiorentina's training center, watching through fogged-up windows as the youth team trained in the rain. His gaze locked onto a tall, lanky boy saving shots with a composure far beyond his fourteen years. Gianluigi Buffon (1), the youth-team goalkeeper from Parma, had traveled in secret for a trial.
"Look closely," he whispered to sporting director Massimo. "In ten years, that kid will be worth more than the entire team."
Massimo frowned.
"He's fourteen, Pablo. And Parma won't sell him."
Pablo smiled as the rain lashed against the glass.
"We won't buy him yet. First, we'll make him need us."
Operation Buffon
January 1993. Fiorentina traveled to Parma for a Coppa Italia match. Knowing Buffon would be watching from the stands, Pablo orchestrated a spectacle:
Zidane delivered a backheel assist to Batistuta for 0-1.
Cafú sprinted 100 meters on a counterattack for 0-2.
But the key moment came at halftime. Pablo approached the youth section and handed Buffon a water bottle.
"Like what you see, Gigi?"
The boy, startled, nodded.
"In Florence, goalkeepers play with their feet," Pablo said. "You could be the first."
That night, Buffon called his agent: "I want to sign for them."
The Match That Won a Goalkeeper
Coppa Italia Semifinal – Fiorentina vs. AC Milan
March 3, 1993 – Artemio Franchi
Milan, with Van Basten, Gullit, and Baresi, arrived as favorites. But Pablo had a plan:
First Half:
12': Zidane split the defense with a through ball for Batistuta, whose shot was saved by Rossi.
34': Van Basten scored after a defensive error. 0-1.
Second Half:
58': Cafú crossed to the back post. Batistuta headed home. 1-1.
75': Gullit fired from the edge of the box. The ball was curling in... until Francesco Antonioli, Fiorentina's starting keeper, flew like a panther to palm it away.
In the stands, Buffon stood in awe.
89': Zidane received Di Livio's pass, spun past his marker, and buried a shot into the top corner. 2-1.
The stadium erupted. Pablo scanned the crowd, locked eyes with Buffon, and winked.
The Secret Signing
May 1993. Buffon, now fifteen, signed his first professional contract. Parma, unaware they were losing the greatest goalkeeper in history, accepted $2 million.
His unveiling was low-key—until he saved three consecutive penalties from Batistuta in training.
"This kid will play until he's forty," Pablo told the press. "For now, he wears #12, but I know he'll make the #1 shirt his own."
The Dream Final
Coppa Italia 1993 – Fiorentina vs. Roma
June 9, 1993 – Stadio Olimpico
First Leg (Rome):
23': Batistuta fired a free-kick opener. 0-1.
67': Rudi Völler equalized with a header. 1-1.
Second Leg (Florence):
15': Zidane dribbled past three defenders and finished far post. 1-0 (2-1 agg.).
88': Cafú sprinted from his own box to assist Borgonovo. 2-0 (3-1 agg.).
When the final whistle blew, Buffon—still a backup—raced onto the pitch to embrace Antonioli. Pablo watched from a distance. That act of humility, he knew, was the seed of a dynasty.
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