Juventus vs Real Madrid will go down as one of the most controversial finishes to a game in Champions League history.
Trailing 3-0 from the first leg, Juventus managed to lead 3-0 in the second leg, and with minutes remaining at the Bernabau the tie seemed destined to head to extra time.
But referee Michael Oliver awarded Real Madrid a controversial penalty in the final moments, which Cristiano Ronaldo would eventually dispatch to send the Spanish side through.
Italian legend Gianluigi Buffon was shown a red card because of his protests, and he would not hold back in his assessment of the incident in his post-match interview.
"The team gave its all, but a human being cannot destroy dreams like that at the end of an extraordinary comeback on a dubious situation,"
Buffon said in an emotionally charged interview.
"Clearly you cannot have a heart in your chest, but a bag of rubbish. On top of that, if you don't have the character to walk on a pitch like this in a stadium like this, you can sit in the stands with your wife, your kids, having your drink and eating crisps.
"You cannot ruin the dreams of a team. I could've told the referee anything at that moment, but he had to understand the degree of the disaster he was creating."
PETER CROUCH HAS HIS SAY
The incident has divided the footballing world. Many have sympathised with Buffon, whereas others have condemned him.
And now Peter Crouch has weighed in with his opinion, and it's very hard to argue with him.
The English international praises his countryman for staying cool in the situation, claiming he was 'as cool in that moment as Cristiano Ronaldo'.
"Fair play to Oliver for making the call," Crouch wrote. "It wasn’t ‘stonewall’ by any means but he was as cool in that moment as Cristiano Ronaldo was when he took the decisive spot-kick."
And Crouch also sympathises with Buffon given the heartbreaking way his last chance to win a Champions League winners' medal ended.
"Buffon’s reaction has caused great debate. There are times when you lay into a referee and know you have overstepped the mark and I’m sure, in the future, Buffon will regret what happened. I know how he feels as I have some experience of red cards in the Bernabeu.
"I am not defending Buffon but, at that moment, the emotions could not have been more highly charged.
"I cannot begin to imagine how he felt when he knew that his lifelong dream of winning the Champions League was ripped from his grasp in such a controversial manner."
Well said, Crouchy.
It's hard to defend Buffon. His reaction was completely unacceptable; both on the pitch and off it.
But that was his last chance of winning the Champions League, and to have had it ripped away from him in such a controversial manner must have been heartbreaking.
For that reason, Buffon must accept the consequences of his actions, but at the same time he also deserves sympathy.
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