TEARFUL BUFFON BOWS OUT

Gianluigi Buffon has announced his retirement from international football after Italy's failure to qualify for next year's World Cup in Russia. The Azzurri  were held to a 0-0 draw in Milan and failed to qualify for the World Cup for the first time since 1958. The  Blågult had already won 1-0 in the first leg of the encounter. Buffon, 39, said: "It's a shame my last official game coincided with the failure to qualify for the World Cup. Until his retirement, the Juventus goalkeeper has been captaining the Italian national team since 2011, after Fabio Cannavaro's retirement. In all the 39-year-old made 175 appearances for his country in a 20-year career - lifting the World Cup in 2006 - and believes the future could still be bright for the four-time world champions.