UEFA open case agst Buffon for CL outburst

(ANSA) - Turin, May 11 - UEFA have opened disciplinary proceedings over Juve skipper Gianluigi Buffon's outburst against the referee after he gave Real Madrid a last-minute penalty in their April 11 Champions League quarterfinal second leg at the Bernabeu. UEFA said the proceedings would examine Buffon's straight red for insulting and jostling ref Michael Oliver, and his statements after the game in which he said Oliver had a "trash can for a heart".

    The case will be heard on May 31 by UEFA's Control, Ethics and Disciplinary Commission, European soccer's ruling body said.

    Buffon said the day after that Oliver "has a trash cannister for a heart" after the controversial last-gasp penalty sent the Turin giants out of the tournament.

    The match looked set to go to extra time after the Serie A champions staged a stunning comeback, going ahead 3-0 on the night to pull level on aggregate, thanks to a double by Mario Mandzukic and a Blaise Matuidi goal stemming from a blunder by Real's goalkeeper.

    But Juve's hopes were dashed when Real's Cristiano Ronaldo converted a penalty deep into stoppage time after Lucas Vazquez went down when challenged from behind by Medhi Benatia.

    Buffon was sent off for protesting against the spot kick in what may well be his last European game as the Italy great is expected to quit the game at the end of the season.

    An April 16, five days after the match, FIFA refereeing supreme Massimo Busacca scolded Buffon for saying Oliver should have thought of the moment in the match when he gave the 92nd minute penalty.

    "The ref is a job where you have to decide in less than a second and you can't think about many things," Busacca told Premium Sport over a decision many Bianconeri fans thought was wrong but most neutrals deemed correct.

    "It's like for goalkeepers, you have to save with your instinct without thinking, and it's the same for us.

    "We have to focus on the decision of the moment, which is already tough to take." Buffon said Oliver should have been more "sensitive" to the moment in the match.