The referee awarded a penalty to Real Madrid that knocked Juventus out of the Champions League
Michael Oliver’s wife has received death threats and abuse from Juventus fans on social media following the dramatic second leg of the Champions League quarter-final between Real Madrid and Juventus on Wednesday night.
In the match, Juve overturned a 3-0 deficit, scoring three of their own unanswered goals, only for Oliver to award Real Madrid an injury-time penalty. Cristiano Ronaldo hammered it into the top corner and destroyed the Italian giants’ trophy hopes and likely prevented Juve’s veteran goalkeeper Gianluigi Buffon from ever earning a winner’s medal.
At 40 years old, Buffon may never play in the Champions League again and, when Oliver gave the penalty, Buffon received a red card shortly after for the nature of his protest against the decision.
But it was in a post-match interview that Buffon was most emotional, when he called out Oliver directly.
He said: “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. If you want to be that protagonist, sit in the ground with your wife.
“The referee has a trash can where his heart should be.”
Buffon (LITERALLY!): “That decision means that ref Oliver doesn’t understand a fuck”
— Tancredi Palmeri (@tancredipalmeri) April 11, 2018
Ever since, Michael Oliver’s wife, Lucy, has been receiving a torrent of abuse on Twitter, including death threats.
If Buffon does not play in European competition again, UEFA cannot sanction him for his remarks.
Gary Lineker has been amongst those calling for Buffon to intervene to defuse the situation.
These vituperous attacks on Michael Oliver and his wife are repugnant. Big admirer of Buffon but his behaviour since has been inflammatory and out of order. Oliver was doing his job and hard to argue against his decisions. Understand the emotion but time to defuse it, Gianluigi.
— Gary Lineker (@GaryLineker) April 14, 2018
And *still* the abuse of referee Michael Oliver’s wife continues. Time for an apology from @gianluigibuffon for the comments he made post-match. This has to stop. pic.twitter.com/84IM92yzuC
— Jacqui Oatley (@JacquiOatley) April 14, 2018
Tell him directly @gianluigibuffon – you did wrong Gianluigi, try to put it right now https://t.co/SynHkDWIZx
— Graham Hunter (@BumperGraham) April 14, 2018
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