In the summer of 2006, as Fabio Cannavaro was lifting the World Cup into the Berlin sky, all hell was breaking loose back home in Italy. Wiretaps had been released uncovering the biggest scandal in football history. Calciopoli, as it came to be known, would implicate the biggest clubs in Italy and expose a network of power and influence that has left a black mark on the Italian game to this day. It would also mark the beginning of the end for Italian football.
To truly understand the essence of Italy's Watergate, we have to understand Juventus, and, more specifically, the Agnelli family running the show (7:25). We chart the rise of Juventus from being the second club of Italy's fifth largest city to both domestic and European domination. How did having the backing of Italy's wealthiest family and biggest employer make Juventus the most supported club throughout the country?
Then, enter stage right Luciano Moggi, the villain of the story. How did Juventus' GM rise from train station attendant to football scout to being the most influential man in Italian football? And how well did his approach to the game fit the Juventus mentality of winning being the 'only thing' (29:17)?
Tune in for much more including tales of prosthetics and anecdotes about the 'King of Italy' on this episode of Football In The 2000s!
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