The 43-year-old, who is currently the number two keeper at Juve, is suspended... for blasphemy.

In Italian football, players are told to watch their language but occasionally in the heat of the contest, an utterance, sometimes invoking or even chastising the divine, simply slips out.

In empty stadiums, there is a better than even chance of the pitchside microphones picking up every mutter and curse that escapes the players' lips, transporting them into the homes of thousands of viewers.

"It's part of his Tuscan character," said journalist Ilaria D'Amico, defending her partner Buffon after he uttered a blasphemous phrase while lecturing teammate Manolo Portanova during December's match with Parma.

"But he's the first to feel bad when it slips out."