Former Juventus sporting director Luciano Moggi notes some similarities between the circumstances that led to his ousting and the current controversy surrounding Inter president Beppe Marotta.

The 88-year-old was the architect of the Bianconeri side that was considered one of the most successful clubs in Europe in the 90s and the first half of the noughties.

Moggi’s work was undone by the Calciopoli scandal that rocked Italian football in 2006. Juventus were relegated to Serie B and slapped with a point deduction, while the Monticiano native was punished with a sporting ban for life.

Luciano Moggi opens up on controversial Inter vs Juventus clash

To this day, Moggi continues to defend his name, insisting that the connections he had with the referees at the time weren’t uncommon, as other club directors also enjoyed special relationships with match officials and designators.

On Saturday, Juventus were the victims of a major refereeing blunder that culminated in their defeat to Inter, as Pierre Kalulu was unjustly sent off for a non-existent foul on Alessandro Bastoni.

When asked to comment on the matter, Moggi insisted that refereeing decisions are part of the game, but he believes that some parties are taking advantage of the situation.

“What happened yesterday was just a spark, but I repeat: the underlying problem lies elsewhere,” said the former director in his interview with TuttoJuve journalist Mirko Di Natale.

“There are people who have an interest in fuelling these little theatrical scenes, in talking about these controversies for weeks on end and creating flashpoints.

“But be careful: when those flashpoints explode, they cause victims — and we’re close to that point. Let’s talk about more serious issues, like people who struggle to make ends meet.

“No one wants to come to Italy anymore. Money can be one reason, but another is all these controversies, which do nothing but damage us. For weeks, people will be talking about this, not about football.”

Moggi defends Inter president Beppe Marotta

Moggi then warned Marotta about a possible plot to oust him, as he crowns the latter as the best club official in Italian football at the moment.

“When they started calling me number one, that was the moment they began plotting to push me out.

“Now Beppe Marotta is in the same situation — he’s currently the best of them all. They say he’s the mastermind behind all this (the refereeing incidents in Inter’s favour), but that’s not true.

“He deserves respect for what he’s doing at Inter and for what he did at Juventus. If he had stayed in Turin, there wouldn’t be any debt by now, and Cristiano Ronaldo would still be at home.

“But here, the best are not tolerated: the culture that prevails in Italy is to tear you down and destroy you if you have too much success.”

Finally, Moggi felt that Juventus directors Giorgio Chiellini and Francois Modesto should have avoided making scenes while protesting the refereeing.

“They were right to protest, but I would have done it in the appropriate forums. That’s where you need to be angry.

“Also, because yesterday Juventus played very well despite being a man down — Lautaro Martínez didn’t touch a single ball.”