Buffon off the boil but unrepentant
Juventus keeper in philosophical mood after ref rage controversy
MILAN — Juventus captain Gianluigi Buffon conceded on Monday that sometimes he gets it wrong but that last week’s dramatic Champions League game against Real Madrid made him feel alive.
The 40-year-old goalkeeper was sent off by referee Michael Oliver after his furious reaction to a last-minute penalty at Santiago Bernabeu Stadium that dumped Juventus out of the competition.
Deprived of what was likely his last chance to lift the only major title missing from his collection, the 2006 World Cup winner blasted the referee after the game as “a murderer” for killing off Juve’s dreams with “a garbage bag” in place of a heart.
“The decisions we make are a way of defining ourselves and making us what we want to be,” Buffon said at a sponsors event in Turin on Monday.
“You can even go too far, sometimes getting it wrong. But that means you’re alive, and that’s why I came into the world.
“After the Bernabeu I went for long walks, mushrooms and daisies. It was a week that allowed me to experience strong emotions, beautiful, pure adrenaline.
“I also live for that.” Italy icon Buffon has said this will be his last season and he announced his international retirement after Italy’s failure to qualify for this summer’s World Cup finals.
“Being captain of the national team is the greatest gift that life has given me,” said Buffon, who returned to play friendlies with the Azzurri last month against England and Argentina.
Juventus — two-time losing finalists in the past three years — bounced back from its Champions League disappointment with a 3-0 win over Sampdoria on Sunday, putting it on the brink of a seventh consecutive Serie A title.
And Buffon praised 19-year-old AC Milan goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma — touted as his successor on the national team — whose superb late save against Napoli could have handed Juve the title.
“I sent him a nice congratulatory text for his save on (Arkadiusz) Milik at the end,” Buffon said.
Meanwhile, Italian referees’ chief Marcello Nicchi on Monday criticized Buffon for his expletive-laced rant.
“Buffon is a great champion who I hope will go on to have a great managerial career,” Nicchi told Italian radio.
“But at certain levels you have to be careful about what you say. There are always kids listening.
“If it happened in Italy? I would have defended the referee. They can’t be threatened either before, during or after the game.
“After that, there are the appropriate bodies which must judge the conduct of all players on the pitch.”
Police support
postmatch
English ref Oliver, meanwhile, has been offered police support after he and his family were abused on social media.
Oliver and his wife Lucy were targeted in the aftermath of last week’s controversial quarterfinal.
A Northumbria Police spokesperson said: “We are aware of threatening messages being posted on social media.
“This type of behavior is completely unacceptable and those writing the messages need to be aware that they could be committing a criminal offense.
“Neighborhood officers are in touch with the victims in this case to offer them support and ensure any further offences are reported to police.”
Oliver was the fourth official at Saturday’s Premier League match between Huddersfield and Watford.