Luciano Moggi has stirred up controversy by suggesting referee Nicola Rizzoli was assigned to tonight’s game with Milan in order to ‘damage’ Juventus” data-scaytid=”3″>Juventus.
Luciano Moggi has stirred up controversy by suggesting referee Nicola Rizzoli was assigned to tonight’s game with Milan in order to ‘damage’ Juventus.
“The designator, unsure of how else to complicate his life and that of others, chooses referee Rizzoli for Milan-Juve without taking into consideration what happened in the past,” wrote former Juve director general Moggi in Libero newspaper.
“Rizzoli, used as a goal-line judge, caused all sorts of trouble and always in favour of Juve. Don’t forget the Italian Super Cup with Napoli, Catania-Juventus and Inter” data-scaytid=”13″>Juve-Inter – all very recent games.
“The first to be embarrassed by this situation will be Rizzoli, as stepping on to the field with the ‘aura of Juventus influence’ can prompt him to make opposite decisions compared to beforehand out of a sense of uncertainty.
“Some are even suggesting Rizzoli was sent on purpose to damage Juve. I don’t want to believe such a thing, but we do have to ask ourselves how this sport works to understand why every week there is some controversy to calm down…”
This will be Rizzoli’s fourth time officiating a match between Milan and Juventus. So far his record is two Bianconeri victories and one for the Rossoneri, although all were played in Turin.
Moggi was the Juventus director general, but resigned in 2006 when the Calciopoli scandal broke, as he was found to have called the refereeing designator to influence the choice of officials assigned to their games.