NYON:  Veteran goalkeeper Gianluigi Buffon has been suspended for three games by UEFA in the wake of his red card and behaviour during Juventus’ Champions League quarter-final against Real Madrid.

Buffon was sent off in the second leg of the tie after protesting to referee Michael Oliver about the Englishman’s decision to award a stoppage-time penalty against the Italian side, which led to Real’s winning goal.

A UEFA statement said: “The UEFA Control, Ethics and Disciplinary Body has decided to suspend the Juventus Football Club player Gianluigi Buffon for three (3) UEFA competition matches for which he would be otherwise eligible.”

Buffon left Juventus at the end of their most recent Italian title-winning season but left oipen the possibility that he might play on someone else for a further year or two.

Fellow Serie A side Roma were fined and banned from selling tickets to their own fans for their next away game in UEFA competition following crowd disturbances in their semi-final with Liverpool.

Roma received a $50,000 (£43,600) fine from UEFA and were given a two-match ban on selling away tickets, with the second deferred under a probationary period of two years.

Charges against Liverpool from their home match against Roma will be discussed at the body’s next meeting.

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