Legendary Italian goalkeeper Gianluigi Buffon has hardly covered himself in glory this week.

The Juventus veterans’ dreams’ of claiming that illusive Champions League title came crashing down around him when Mehdi Benatia bundled into the back of Lucas Vasquez to concede a stoppage-time penalty against Real Madrid.

The red mist descended upon the 40-year-old as he vociferously protested the decision, pushing Michael Oliver and unashamedly screaming right in his face.

Oliver had no choice but to send Buffon off, forcing one of the greatest players of all time to make that miserable lonely walk from the Santiago Bernabeu pitch, reminiscent of the walk Zinedine Zidane undertook in the 2006 World Cup final.

Cristiano Ronaldo duly dispatched the penalty - of course - and Juventus, having been on the brink of completing one of the most incredible comebacks in history, were sent crashing back down to earth with a resounding thump.

After the game, Buffon was vicious in his assessment of Oliver’s performance, stating that the English official must have a bag of rubbish instead of a heart.

“There must be some sensitivity to understanding the importance of some moments and if you do not have this sensitivity to what’s going on in the game, you’re not worthy of being on the pitch.” said Buffon.

“In this case, he should be in the stands with his parents, with his friends, with fries and Coca-Cola, and watch the game. You can not do something like that.

“This referee doesn’t have a heart. He has a rubbish bin instead of a heart.”

Crikey. Buffon not a fan of Oliver then.

Now, Gennaro Gattuso, widely known for his penchant for a total meltdown, has had his say on the incident.

The now AC Milan manager may just have put the whole incident into context with his comments too.

“I am frankly the last person who can talk about the way others react,” said the fiery manager.

“I did much worse than that, because when the vein gets blocked up, you don’t know what’s going on. I nearly headbutted Joe Jordan, I went into the stands to insult Leonardo… I just can’t talk.

“I still feel embarrassed when I watch back footage of what I’ve done, especially now my son can see them on the Internet.

“Gigi remains a great teammate and a great champion. When he feels ready, I think he will apologise. I felt sad for Juventus, but proud of Italian football.”

Gattuso, a former teammate of Buffon, was possibly the king of the temper tantrum during his playing days and has shown no desire to relinquish that crown since taking over the reign at AC Milan.

It really was a moment of high emotion, and Gigi may just be forgiven for the way in which he completely lost his cool considering what was on the line.

Gattuso may just have burned the Bernabeu to the ground had he been in the same position.