A giant chocolate statue of a former Juventus star stole the show at the Hamrun Chocolate Festival, leaving even the most-capped goalkeeper in history, Gianluigi Buffon, speechless. Meanwhile, Juventus midfielder Manuel Locatelli expressed his satisfaction with the team’s hard-fought draw against Inter, seeing it as a valuable morale booster. Locatelli also reflected on his leadership role at the club, praising the depth of their goalkeeping options.
Giant Chocolate Statue of Ex-Juventus Star a Hit!
At the Hamrun Chocolate Festival, 46-year-old Buffon exclaimed, “My Maltese friends have outdone themselves!” after chocolatier Tiziano Cassar unveiled the lifelike edible creation.
Local media reports state that the massive chocolate statue of Buffon, depicting his 2006 World Cup days, was the highlight of the festival.
The record-holder for most caps as a goalkeeper shared on social media, “My friends from Malta have really outdone themselves! This time, they left me speechless: a chocolate Buffon… who would have ever imagined it?”
He added: “Special thanks to Tiziano Cassar for the extraordinary work. Congratulations, truly a masterpiece!”
Cassar expressed his joy over the former Juventus player’s reaction, telling local media in Malta, “It was great and gave me a lot of satisfaction. Especially considering I am a Juventus fan.”
The sculpture is said to weigh 180 kilograms and stand 192 centimeters in height.
Cassar estimates it took him around 15 days to finish the sculpture. He also remarked, “I think this might be the first-ever chocolate sculpture of a footballer lying down.”
Juventus Midfielder Happy with Tough Draw Against Inter
Juventus veteran Manuel Locatelli is proud of his team’s comeback against Inter. After being down 2-4, the Bianconeri looked set for defeat, but Kenan Yildiz came on to score a brace and secure a crucial point for the visitors.
As a result, Locatelli believes this outcome will provide a morale boost for Juventus, considering the situation.
“It was an incredible match. There were strong emotions. We are satisfied with the team spirit we had. We will analyze the errors on the goals conceded but we will start again from the same spirit,” the former Sassuolo player mentioned in his post-match press conference.
“There was a moment when we were suffering but we transmitted positivity to one other. It was an incredible match, a great battle between two big teams. Given how the match went, it’s a point gained.”
Locatelli also talked about his leadership role both on and off the pitch, as he has become one of the club’s most experienced players.
“I try to do what the coach asks of me and help the younger ones. Then, as a midfielder, it is normal that I have some speaking to do on the pitch.
“These games must give us awareness. We have conceded avoidable goals, but we must be aware of our path. We are young, and we have a good base to work on.”
The Euro 2020 champion encouraged his teammates to stay humble while suggesting that Inter might be better positioned to win the league.
“Iner and Napoli are strong teams but so are we. Inter have been playing together for a long time; they have experience and are prepared to play this type of match. We must remain humble.”
Lastly, Locatelli emphasized that Juventus is fortunate to have three skilled goalkeepers on its squad.
“Michele [Di Gregorio] is a guy I already love even though I’ve known him for a short while. He has his head on his shoulders. He is Juve’s future and present. We are lucky with all three goalkeepers we have. Pisngolio and Perin are two role models as well.”
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