Former Juventus” data-scaytid=”1″>Juventus Coach Giovanni Trapattoni has defended the club in the wake of recent controversy surrounding referees.
Former Juventus Coach Giovanni Trapattoni has defended the club in the wake of recent controversy surrounding referees.
Roma goalkeeper Morgan De Sanctis yesterday added fuel to the fire, declaring to the Gazzetta dello Sport that the fact Juve haven’t been as successful in Europe as in Serie A ‘makes you think’.
In an interview with the same publication today, Trapattoni, who also managed the national side, rubbished the claims.
“This is the usual tendency toward feeling victimised,” the veteran tactician offered.
“Juve win a lot because they are backed by a great board and have great players on the field. Leave the referees in peace.
“Juve are against the whole of Italy. That’s how it is today, and even in my time that’s how it was.
“I won everything with Juve in international competition and no-one gifted us anything. What’s more, do you think this Juve, the Juve which got 102 points under [Antonio] Conte needed help?
“Of course, sometimes the chips fall in Juve’s favour. In my successes too, we had refereeing calls in our favour, but as I said back then: ‘We’re playing with a full deck of cards, we don’t hold all the aces’.”
A number of former Juventus stars have also spoken in defence of the club. As well as Sergio Brio’s attack on De Sanctis yesterday, former striker Paolo Rossi and legendary goalkeeper Dino Zoff have defended the Old Lady.
“It’s become a cliché that Juve are favoured by referees,” Rossi told the Gazzetta.
“It’s not true, I can assure you.”
Zoff meanwhile pointed to the greater financial muscle of English and Spanish clubs as a reason Juve have not enjoyed the same dominance in Europe.
“The Roma goalkeeper knows the difference in investment between our teams and Real [Madrid], Barcelona or the English clubs?”