Udinese director Pierpaolo Marino says Fabio Paratici was trying to intimidate the referee after being caught shouting at him at halftime of their Serie A game yesterday.

The Bianconeri came from a goal down to beat the Friulani 2-1 after a late show from Cristiano Ronaldo.

Juve had gone into the break a goal down after making a very slow start to the game.

The referee appeared to have blown his half-time whistle without adding any stoppages.

Paratici waited for him in the tunnel and was reportedly seen shouting at the referee.

Juve came back better and eventually scored a goal through the penalty spot after Rodrigo De Paul was adjudged to have handled in the box.

Ronaldo scored a late winner for his second of the game to give Juve all three points.

Marino wasn’t impressed and claims the referee was influenced by Paratici.

“I am angry because my team put in a great performance and I am here to protect their hard work,” Marino told Sky Sport Italia via Football Italia.

“The Ronaldo free-kick that led to the penalty should’ve been a free kick in Udinese’s favour instead. I am a veteran of football, so I’ve seen before those who cling to complaining over the lack of first-half stoppages to intimidate the referee.

“Then after that, the referee can give a penalty for a free-kick that was non-existent. It’s Juan Cuadrado who fouls Jens Stryger-Larsen, not the other way round.

“It was a blatant error and cannot be ignored. I believe the referee was influenced by this verbal assault on Chiffi at half-time by the Juve directors, staff, coaches and players.

“The way they were behaving, it was as if they’d lost because there weren’t 40 seconds of stoppages. This sort of thing belongs to a football of another era. I spoke out against it then and I’ll speak out against it now.”