Oliver absolutely spot on with both decisions. Buffon first laid his hands on him and then aggressively shouted in his face constantly. Forget the sentiment, you just can't do that.
One minute you're the centre of the World's attention, the next you're 4th official at Huddersfield!
Just in case Gianluigi Buffon is up for round two with the Ashington-born official, the FA have published a handy guide to his whereabouts over the next few days...
Saturday, 14 April - Huddersfield Town v Watford (15:00)
Referee: Craig Pawson Assistants: Constantine Hatzidakis, Eddie Smart Fourth official: Michael Oliver
Monday, 16 April - West Ham United v Stoke City (20:00)
Referee: Michael Oliver Assistants: Stuart Burt, Daniel Cook Fourth official: Craig Pawson
Though he could have booked Buffon with a warning that if he said one more word he'd be off, but it was understandable to issue a red as the reaction was far too much from Buffon.
Was a definite penalty too. Shame as I wanted Juve to win.
Ronaldo is an idiot for taking his shirt off again though - why risk a suspension from another booking for the sake of showing off?
Though he could have booked Buffon with a warning that if he said one more word he'd be off, but it was understandable to issue a red as the reaction was far too much from Buffon.
Was a definite penalty too. Shame as I wanted Juve to win.
Ronaldo is an idiot for taking his shirt off again though - why risk a suspension from another booking for the sake of showing off?
Cautions are written off at this stage so won't make any difference
Gutted for Juve but it probably was a pen, albeit very soft. The thing that made me so angry was the fact that Vazquez is clearly looking for the pen rather than trying to score a tap in...
If that was Fosu or Ajose and it wasn't given we would all be shouting about shit refs.
Yes it was soft but you cant come in from behind like that.
Buffon, you can understand his frustration but that doesn't justify it.
Both the penalty and red card were correct in my opinion.
Sometimes when there is a delay of more than a minute people talk about it not being great for the penalty taker waiting around. Ronaldo had to wait an eternity and took one of the best penalties you'll see. He could have told the keeper where he was putting it and he wouldn't have saved it.
Though he could have booked Buffon with a warning that if he said one more word he'd be off, but it was understandable to issue a red as the reaction was far too much from Buffon.
Was a definite penalty too. Shame as I wanted Juve to win.
Ronaldo is an idiot for taking his shirt off again though - why risk a suspension from another booking for the sake of showing off?
Cautions are written off at this stage so won't make any difference
Ah OK didn't realise! Still a tw***y way to celebrate though.
Never a pen, and Oliver helping FIFA decision not to pick English refs for the World Cup
Yeah top post. I can definitely see how him giving a contentious decision would aid FIFA in their quest to allocate the best officials at this years world cup. We may as well just purposefully ignore the fact that a full list of referees was decided and announced on 29/03/2018 , eh?
Many in the Premier League believe Michael Oliver has what it takes to be one of the best referees in the world although it would be fair to say that if Real Madrid’s Champions League quarter-final first leg against Juventus had been closer than 3-0 he would not have been in charge of the second leg.
Oliver, 33, had only been moved onto the Uefa elite list of referees in January, too late for the World Cup finals which will not include a single English official, but there is an appetite to develop him. It would have been a more experienced official assigned to this quarter-final tie if there had been a narrower margin from the first leg and yet by half-time Oliver will have realised that this was turning into one of the games of his life.
By the end of it, Gianluigi Buffon would accuse the English referee of having “a bin where his heart should be”.
“He blew for a foul only he saw,” said the Italian - but Oliver was right.
He has been refereeing in the Champions League for two seasons now, and was in charge of Juventus’ first round victory over Sporting Lisbon and Bayern Munich’s round of 16 second leg at Besiktas. But it was as this game went into its closing stages that he was faced with two huge decisions in quick succession.
For experienced referee-watchers, the speed with which Oliver awarded the injury-time penalty against Mehdi Benatia for running into the back of Lucas Vazquez suggested that there was no dialogue with his assistants and the official made call based on his own view of the incident.
It was a close call but the correct one and from then on Oliver had another decision to make. Surrounded by Juventus players, Oliver was suddenly tipped forward and immediately looked behind him to see where the shove has come from.
He did not have to look far to note that the man shouting in his face was Gianluigi Buffon, the 40-year-old Italian who was in all likelihood playing his last game in the one competition he has never won. Later in the BT Sport studio, Rio Ferdinand said that the “romantic” in him wanted to see Buffon stay on to face Cristiano Ronaldo’s penalty. “A heart-breaking moment” said Gary Lineker.
But if Oliver sensed that Buffon had shoved him then he knows that physical contact with a referee is a clear red line which the officials are told time and again is punishable with a red card.
Once more, Oliver had no hesitation in making the decision he believed to be right. That he had the courage to do so, in spite of the profile of the character in front of him will have been noted by Uefa’s head of referees Pierluigi Collina who will be impressed.
In unexpected circumstances, Oliver found himself at the centre of a storm and acquitted himself well with two brave decisions. There may be no English referee at this summer’s World Cup, but Oliver should be at Qatar in 2022.
Re Buffon and the ref having a rubbish bin for a heart.
I totally understand his reaction at the time, wrong but understandable. BUT I don't agree with his comments after the game, let it go, you're making yourself look stupid imo
The ref is there to judge based on fact not emotion. Imagine he gave a yellow even though he felt it was a red because of the whole "Buffon's last game thing" you can't be reffing like that.
With the penalty, I'd be interested to have seen the reaction of the situation if it was the other way around and Juventus had the last minute penalty. Only because I believe a lot of people's judgement of how harsh a decision it was and if it was a soft penalty or not is being a little clouded by the fact most wanted Juve to win and turn the game around, much like Roma had done the night before. Or at least they would have wanted extra time and penalties.
Hard to be unbiased when you have a dog in the fight
Though he could have booked Buffon with a warning that if he said one more word he'd be off, but it was understandable to issue a red as the reaction was far too much from Buffon.
Was a definite penalty too. Shame as I wanted Juve to win.
Ronaldo is an idiot for taking his shirt off again though - why risk a suspension from another booking for the sake of showing off?
Cautions are written off at this stage so won't make any difference
Ah OK didn't realise! Still a tw***y way to celebrate though.
thought Ronaldo was shocking during the game. every time he was on the ball he would fall over at any slight bit of touch then fling his arms out at the ref to try and get a penalty or free kick. why not use some strength and beat the man which you are capable off?
bet all those embarrassing Juve fans who clapped him for his over head kick like some connoisseurs of fine football are regretting it now especially after his 'look at my wrinkled/muscle body' antics for the celebration.
Ha brilliant. At home first too, that couldn't have worked out any better...
(You watch them go win it now. Sigh. If they beat Atletico over 2 legs then they'll deserve it!)
They have to beat Athletico either way whether in final or semis, Athletico are favourites but still if Arsenal turn up both legs they have a chance. Hope they win it but i am biased as dad follows them so normally root for them especially against spurs @JohnBoyUK (even though i was in home end lol)
Ha brilliant. At home first too, that couldn't have worked out any better...
(You watch them go win it now. Sigh. If they beat Atletico over 2 legs then they'll deserve it!)
They have to beat Athletico either way whether in final or semis, Athletico are favourites but still if Arsenal turn up both legs they have a chance. Hope they win it but i am biased as dad follows them so normally root for them especially against spurs @JohnBoyUK (even though i was in home end lol)
One game at a neutral ground is much more of a leveler than a two-leg semi-final (especially with the second leg away).
Same with Liverpool - if they draw Real Madrid in the semi-final it's goodnight Vienna - if they avoid them and then play them in the final it's a much closer call.
Comments
Was a definite penalty too. Shame as I wanted Juve to win.
Ronaldo is an idiot for taking his shirt off again though - why risk a suspension from another booking for the sake of showing off?
Yes it was soft but you cant come in from behind like that.
Buffon, you can understand his frustration but that doesn't justify it.
Both the penalty and red card were correct in my opinion.
Sometimes when there is a delay of more than a minute people talk about it not being great for the penalty taker waiting around. Ronaldo had to wait an eternity and took one of the best penalties you'll see. He could have told the keeper where he was putting it and he wouldn't have saved it.
I can definitely see how him giving a contentious decision would aid FIFA in their quest to allocate the best officials at this years world cup.
We may as well just purposefully ignore the fact that a full list of referees was decided and announced on 29/03/2018 , eh?
Buffon’s actions make it a red card - shame his last Champions league game ended like that.
Oliver, who I think it’s smug little prick, got it right both times.
Pleased Real got through.
Many in the Premier League believe Michael Oliver has what it takes to be one of the best referees in the world although it would be fair to say that if Real Madrid’s Champions League quarter-final first leg against Juventus had been closer than 3-0 he would not have been in charge of the second leg.
Oliver, 33, had only been moved onto the Uefa elite list of referees in January, too late for the World Cup finals which will not include a single English official, but there is an appetite to develop him. It would have been a more experienced official assigned to this quarter-final tie if there had been a narrower margin from the first leg and yet by half-time Oliver will have realised that this was turning into one of the games of his life.
By the end of it, Gianluigi Buffon would accuse the English referee of having “a bin where his heart should be”.
“He blew for a foul only he saw,” said the Italian - but Oliver was right.
He has been refereeing in the Champions League for two seasons now, and was in charge of Juventus’ first round victory over Sporting Lisbon and Bayern Munich’s round of 16 second leg at Besiktas. But it was as this game went into its closing stages that he was faced with two huge decisions in quick succession.
For experienced referee-watchers, the speed with which Oliver awarded the injury-time penalty against Mehdi Benatia for running into the back of Lucas Vazquez suggested that there was no dialogue with his assistants and the official made call based on his own view of the incident.
It was a close call but the correct one and from then on Oliver had another decision to make. Surrounded by Juventus players, Oliver was suddenly tipped forward and immediately looked behind him to see where the shove has come from.
He did not have to look far to note that the man shouting in his face was Gianluigi Buffon, the 40-year-old Italian who was in all likelihood playing his last game in the one competition he has never won. Later in the BT Sport studio, Rio Ferdinand said that the “romantic” in him wanted to see Buffon stay on to face Cristiano Ronaldo’s penalty. “A heart-breaking moment” said Gary Lineker.
But if Oliver sensed that Buffon had shoved him then he knows that physical contact with a referee is a clear red line which the officials are told time and again is punishable with a red card.
Once more, Oliver had no hesitation in making the decision he believed to be right. That he had the courage to do so, in spite of the profile of the character in front of him will have been noted by Uefa’s head of referees Pierluigi Collina who will be impressed.
In unexpected circumstances, Oliver found himself at the centre of a storm and acquitted himself well with two brave decisions. There may be no English referee at this summer’s World Cup, but Oliver should be at Qatar in 2022.
I totally understand his reaction at the time, wrong but understandable. BUT I don't agree with his comments after the game, let it go, you're making yourself look stupid imo
The ref is there to judge based on fact not emotion. Imagine he gave a yellow even though he felt it was a red because of the whole "Buffon's last game thing" you can't be reffing like that.
With the penalty, I'd be interested to have seen the reaction of the situation if it was the other way around and Juventus had the last minute penalty. Only because I believe a lot of people's judgement of how harsh a decision it was and if it was a soft penalty or not is being a little clouded by the fact most wanted Juve to win and turn the game around, much like Roma had done the night before. Or at least they would have wanted extra time and penalties.
Hard to be unbiased when you have a dog in the fight
bet all those embarrassing Juve fans who clapped him for his over head kick like some connoisseurs of fine football are regretting it now especially after his 'look at my wrinkled/muscle body' antics for the celebration.
Marseille v Salzburg
Arsenal v Atlético
At home first too, that couldn't have worked out any better...
(You watch them go win it now. Sigh. If they beat Atletico over 2 legs then they'll deserve it!)
Not impossible, but Arsenal will really have to step up at the back
Same with Liverpool - if they draw Real Madrid in the semi-final it's goodnight Vienna - if they avoid them and then play them in the final it's a much closer call.
Liverpool v Roma