59 years; The lifespan of legendary songstress Dusty Springfield, leader of the Roundheads Oliver Cromwell and writer Truman Capote. On Tuesday night, that list was added to by the Italian national football team.
Not since 1958 has the Azzurri failed to reach a major footballing competition and whilst Gian Piero Ventura will go down in infamy as the man who oversaw a footballing tragedy, Italy's failure bring's down the curtain on the career of Gianluigi Buffon in the most heart-wrenching of circumstances.
Buffon's sentiments immediately after the game at San Siro on Tuesday evening spoke volumes, as at the end of his 175th appearance the 39-year-old wept tears for a nation.