Gianluigi Buffon apologises to referee Michael Oliver for going ‘beyond the limits’ after Champions League red card

Sign up to Miguel Delaney’s Reading the Game newsletter sent straight to your inbox for free Sign up to Miguel’s Delaney’s free weekly newsletter Sign up to Miguel’s Delaney’s free weekly newsletter SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy Gianluigi Buffon has issued an apology to English referee Michael Oliver for his behaviour during and after Juventus’ Champions League quarter-final defeat by Real Madrid and said that he will accept a ban from Uefa if they choose to sanction him. Buffon, who on Thursday announced that he will play his final game for Juventus this weekend but is reconsidering retirement after receiving “interesting proposals”, was sent off by Oliver in the dying minutes of last month’s Champions League quarter-final second leg. With Juventus on course to take the tie to extra-time, Oliver awarded a penalty following a foul from Medhi Benatia on Lucas Vazquez, to which Buffon reacted furiously and earned himself a red card. After that match, I went beyond the limits with the things I said about the referee and I apologise for that.” Uefa announced last week that they are investigating Buffon’s comments to the media about Oliver, which led to the referee and his wife receiving death threats and aggressive phone calls.