Juventus goalkeeper Gianluigi Buffon has lent his support to opposite number Iker Casillas ahead of Wednesday’s Champions League clash with Real Madrid.
Casillas was again whistled by a section of the crowd during the 2-2 draw with Valencia at the Santiago Bernabeu on Saturday, but Buffon feels it is unfair to single out a player who has won so much in his time with Los Blancos.
“I don’t want to give Iker any advice because it’s a personal situation,” he told a Press conference.
“But I find the protest against him to be an ungrateful gesture. This guy has been wearing a Real Madrid shirt for 20 years.
“He’s certainly received a lot from this club but he’s also given them a great deal too. Certain icons do not deserve this kind of treatment.”
Juve take a 2-1 into the semi-final second leg in Spain and the experienced 37-year-old acknowledges it is going to be a tough task to get to the final in Berlin on June 6.
“The figures speak for themselves and Madrid always score at the Bernabeu, but maybe we can give them something to think about.
“We’ll have to play with intelligence but this team is such attack-minded that if we simply defended the result then we’d create many problems.
“We’ve exceeded all expectations and when you are only 90 minutes away from the final, although it has been great, there is always a chance of losing.
“But every one of us has this desire to achieve this dream of getting to the final.”
Buffon was invited to give his opinion on the chances of the tie going to a penalty shoot-out.
“If it went to penalties I think Casillas and I would do an excellent job. I’ve been lucky enough, as has Iker, to have played in some important matches and experienced big moments.
“Saving penalties is a way of thanking your teammates for the work they’ve done,” he explained.
