• Tearful Buffon given guard of honour during win over Verona • Parma return to Italian top flight three years after bankruptcy

This article is more than 2 years old

This article is more than 2 years old

Gianluigi Buffon made his emotional farewell to Juventus on Saturday, marking his 640th and last Serie A appearance for the club with another victory.

Buffon, who announced on Thursday he would be ending his 17-year spell in Turin, helped the champions finish the season with a 2-1 win over relegated Verona.

Juventus had already wrapped up a seventh successive title, so this game was an opportunity to pay tribute to their departing captain. The goalkeeper was already off the pitch by the time Verona got their consolation goal after Daniele Rugani and Miralem Pjanic had put the hosts in charge.

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Buffon left the pitch for the final time as a Juventus player after being substituted in the 63rd minute, embracing team-mates, staff and opponents alike as he made his way to the touchline. There were plenty of tears in the crowd as Juve supporters said goodbye to one of the finest goalkeepers the game has ever seen.

The tears had been there at the start, too. Buffon was accompanied by his three sons as he led out the team at the Allianz Stadium and greeted emotional Juve supporters in the crowd before kick-off, the fans eager to say their own goodbyes to their departing idol.

Massimiliano Allegri, the Juventus manager, paid tribute to departing goalkeeper. “Today it was right that Gigi Buffon was honoured for all he did, there was no better way to finish this year.”

Messages had earlier poured in from his team-mates on social media, with Paulo Dybala writing: “100 games together, 1,040 days, smiles, tears, hugs. I wish you the happiest future, my captain. I will miss you – now let’s have fun together again!”

Buffon, who has not announced his retirement amid “interesting proposals” from other clubs to extend his playing career, saw his team-mates struggle to break down Verona in the first half, with Dybala’s chip that hit the bar the closest.

Rugani opened the scoring in the 49th minute, tapping home after Verona goalkeeper Nícolas parried Douglas Costa’s low effort. Pjanic made it two just three minutes later, whipping a fine free-kick into the left corner, with Nícolas left rooted to the spot.

Buffon then made his exit, given a guard of honour as he made his way off the pitch, all corners of the stadium rising in appreciation. Carlo Pinsoglio replaced him and conceded in the 76th minute as Alessio Cerci pulled one back. It did not prove costly as the hosts closed out victory, but the day belonged to Buffon.

Parma return to Serie A after three straight promotions

Parma, Buffon’s first club, will return to Serie A next season three years after bankruptcy, after a 2-0 win at Spezia on Friday – and a late equaliser for Foggia against Frosinone – sealed a third successive promotion.

The club won the Uefa Cup, European Cup Winners’ Cup and three Coppa Italias during their heyday of the 1990s and early 2000s, but had to start again in Serie D after going bankrupt in 2015.

A reformed club, Parma Calcio 2013, easily secured promotion from Italy’s fourth tier in 2015-16 and won the Serie C promotion play-off the following year to reach Serie B this season.

“I said I’d take Parma back to Serie A. I kept my promise,” the club captain Alessandro Lucarelli told Sky Sport Italia.

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“This is a journey we started three years ago in front of these amazing fans. We had difficult moments, we always got back on our feet. They never gave up and I am proud to have been their captain. It can’t be real, it’s impossible.”

Frosinone were leading Foggia 2-1 with a minute remaining but conceded a last-gasp equaliser to hand Parma automatic promotion.