Gigi Buffon didn’t even make the 59-man longlist for the Ballon d’Or. The oversight provoked outcry in Italy. If the Old Lady’s dreams of winning the treble looked for a short while like coming true after Alvaro Morata equalised in the Champions League final against Barça in May it was in no small part down to her captain and leader ageing like a Tignanello.  

“I believe that irrespective of what does or doesn’t happen in Berlin, when you consider the career he’s had, he deserves the Ballon d’Or,” remarked Max Allegri. Buffon, just to clarify, didn’t have the same delusion as Franck Ribery two years ago. He didn’t believe he should have won it. Buffon knows he’ll never come closer to becoming the first goalkeeper to win the Ballon d’Or since Lev Yashin - than after winning the World Cup in 2006. On that occasion it went to his teammate Fabio Cannavaro instead. 

However, to not even make the longlist when, for instance, David Ospina did brought understandable bewilderment. In protest Italy coach Antonio Conte and Buffon, his captain, abstained from casting their vote to decide on the three best players in the world. They were ordered not to by the FIGC. Buffon’s own protest - intentional or otherwise - has been much more powerful. Since Lionel Messi collected his fifth Ballon d’Or at a ceremony in Zurich, Buffon hasn’t conceded a goal in Serie A. 

The last time he had to pick the ball out of his own net in the league was on January 10. Nine consecutive clean sheets have followed matching the club record Juventus established in 1973. Last weekend’s 2-0 win in Bergamo against Atalanta left Buffon on the brink of making history. He hasn’t conceded in 836 minutes. It puts him on the podium for the longest unbeaten streak by a goalkeeper in Serie A history. In one fell swoop he surpassed Davide Pinato [757], Ivan Pelizzoli [774] and Mario da Pozzo [791]. 

Don’t worry if you haven’t heard or can’t remember them. Their presence on the list serves to illustrate how, irrespective of goalkeeping ability, a degree of luck is involved too. All it takes is for one of your teammates to make a mistake or for a cross that looks like a shot to fall in at the far post or a referee to allow a goal that should never have been given and it’s gone, finished, over. 

If Buffon does break the record, he will be sure to acknowledge the role Juventus’ defence has played in it. The BBC of Andrea Barzagli, Leonardo Bonucci and Giorgio Chiellini will go down, at least in domestic terms, as one of the greatest of all time. They have been a unit now for five years and of the 63 occasions they have played together in Serie A they have lost only four times, taking 153 of 189 points available. This season Buffon has finished four games without even facing a shot on target. However, only one came during this streak. 

All that separates Buffon from the setting a new best in Serie A history is 93 minutes. That’ll be enough to take him past Dino Zoff [903], his only rival to the title of Italy and Juventus’ No.1 number one, and the holder of the record these past 22 years Sebastiano Rossi [929]. Restoring it to Juventus would be of immense satisfaction to everyone involved at the club. 

A debate is also being had about whose is the greater achievement. Rossi did it when the standard of Serie A was higher. The strikers were better. But games were less open and he received protection like no other. The Milan defence Rossi played behind of Mauro Tassotti, Billy Costacurta, Paolo Maldini and Franco Baresi is without doubt the best ever.

 “That Milan team had four all-time greats and a good goalkeeper,” recalled Zvone Boban, a member of that team, on Sunday night. “Buffon is the only all-time great at Juventus.” Teams are also more expansive in Serie A these days. They go for it more. The number of goals per game is up and matches have an anarchy and a chaos to them that they didn’t in the past, which also would reflect well on Buffon if he does endure and go beyond Rossi. 

It would be a mistake, however, to consider it a foregone conclusion. Juventus play Sassuolo on Friday night. Ammazza grandi or Giant killers, they were the last team to upset the Old Lady in Serie A. Milan were their latest victim at the weekend and, mindful of that, Juventus need to approach this game with care. If their head is already subconsciously on the second leg of their Round of 16 Champions League clash with Bayern then they and Buffon’s shot at the record could be in trouble. 

Winning will come first. The record second. Buffon has always put side before self. He won’t think about it too much unless it can serve a purpose for the greater good and in this case perhaps it could. One imagines it might actually help Allegri focus the group. Don’t concede. Do it for Gigi! Of all the records Buffon could break, there perhaps isn’t one more appropriate than this. Because in essence it’s about longevity and at 38 and even among great contemporaries like Manuel Neuer and David de Gea, he still more than holds his own. 

Ballon d’Or longlist? FIFA may continue to ignore Buffon. But history won’t.