Moggi 'benches' Cassano
Saturday 31 December, 2005
Transfer guru Luciano Moggi has pushed Antonio Cassano to Real Madrid by claiming he’d only sit on the bench at Juventus.
“Cassano is a champion and there’s no doubt about that,” said the director general. “But where would he fit in at Juve? With Zlatan Ibrahimovic, David Trezeguet, Alessandro Del Piero, Mauro Camoranesi and Adrian Mutu, it would be pointless to sign a player who wouldn’t be happy with a spot on the bench.”
The Italian Press was convinced that Cassano was refusing to sign a new contract with Roma so that he could reunite with Coach Fabio Capello in Turin.
However, over the past few months that move has been increasingly pushed aside by suggestions he is to join Real Madrid for £3m in the January transfer window.
“We are accustomed to creating a team with players who are suitable for the tasks at hand,” added Moggi. “This year, for example, we needed a midfielder and did not go around buying two or three decent ones. We went straight for the best and signed Patrick Vieira who, along with Emerson, made up an excellent partnership.”
The Bianconeri transfer guru has repeatedly put the Press off the scent with his interviews and insists there will be no major activity around the Stadio Delle Alpi next month.
“I don’t think that Juventus need to sign any new players. In fact, our only move will probably be loaning goalkeeper Antonio Chimenti to Cagliari.”
Moggi has been under attack recently after Bayern Munich chairman Karl-Heinz Rumenigge likened him to “a Mafia figure” for his control of the transfer market and dealings with Willy Sagnol, whose contract expires at the end of the season.
“We do not need to sit down and reconcile with Bayern, because this row has been entirely one-sided. We never said we wanted any of their players – it is the Germans and Sagnol who have done all the talking. Mind you, if a player is out of contract and wishes to leave Munich, that is up to them and certainly not my fault.”
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