Buffon tells Juventus to be brave at Madrid

Gianluigi Buffon has seen and done most things during his time at Juventus, yet the 37-year-old is still looking for a UEFA Champions League winners' medal, having played in the 2003 final defeat by AC Milan. With the Bianconeri defending a 2-1 lead at Real Madrid CF in this season's semi-final, could this finally be his year?

Buffon on ... Madrid's threat
Lots of teams have lost at the Santiago Bernabéu and they always conceded goals. Real Madrid have great attacking strength and if we only defend we will have problems. They always score at home. We need to be smart because our advantage is very small.

Buffon on ... Carlos Tévez's importance and Paul Pogba's return
Carlos is an inspiration for the whole team. He understands what the team needs. And it will be important for Pogba to have 60 or 70 great minutes.

Buffon on ... Juve's approach
When you are 90 minutes away from a final with a small advantage you always have something to lose. We know that the only way to get through is to play well here.

Buffon on ... Buffon
I was 28 in 2006 [when Italy won the FIFA World Cup]. Now I'm more mature and it helps me to know where I want to go. If we reach the final we will still have another step to take. We have to enjoy this semi-final and see what happens in the future. I never get used to these kind of matches but it's true that my experience allows me to know what I'm going to experience. It will be 90 long minutes.

Buffon on ... Juve's first UEFA Champions League semi-final since 2003
This is an occasion to feel proud. We consider this a massive competition and we haven't been an important part of it for a long time. We have to play without remorse. All the players, goalkeepers included, will have to push themselves to their physical limits. I'm very proud of this journey [with Juventus] and I want to thank all the players who have made possible our return [to the elite].