Juve chief defends Buffon criticism

Juventus director general Beppe Moratta has moved to explain coach Luigi Del Neri's recent criticism of goalkeeper Gianluigi Buffon, after the player's agent expressed his unhappiness at the comments.

Del Neri recently told reporters that Buffon, who has been with the Bianconeri for nine years, is no longer indispensible to the club.
The Italy No. 1 has not yet played under Del Neri as he has been injured, and his relationship with his manager is reportedly strained because of Buffon's lack of regular visits to the club's training round and his non-attendance at a club photo-call in Switzerland earlier this year.
Buffon has regularly rejected reports that he is planning to leave Juve for the Premier League, but his agent Silvana Martina admitted that Del Neri's recent criticism left him disappointed.
"It was a wretched interview," Martina told Controcampo. "I didn't expect it was from a decent person like Del Neri. There was a lack of respect towards Buffon. If I were Juventus' president, I would have fined Del Neri."


Keen to appease one of the club's star players, Juve chief Marotta moved swiftly to explain Del Neri's comments and reject reports that an unhappy Buffon is looking for a transfer.
"Buffon is our player," Marotta said. "There is the utmost respect for him. What Del Neri wanted to say is that the coach is the manager of the group and that it's up to him to make the decisions."