Luciano Moggi, a former sporting director at Juventus, wasn’t a billionaire, nor a media mogul. But what he lacked in wealth, he made up for in cunning. Moggi didn’t need to own TV stations—he owned people.

He built his empire on three pillars: referees, media, and players.

1. The Referee Web

Moggi realized early that controlling referees could tip matches without spending a single Euro. And he didn’t need to bribe them with cash—he used favors.

Moggi would promise referees that if they toed the line, they’d be assigned high-profile matches. He’d promise jobs for their relatives, promotions, or future opportunities. In return, the referees overlooked harsh tackles by Juventus players, handed out soft penalties to opponents, and gave red cards for minor fouls. One match before a crucial game? Suspend the in-form player from the opposition.

This favoritism became so normalized that fans started noticing patterns—but they were powerless. Because the media wouldn’t show it.

2. Silencing the Media

Moggi’s grip over the media was as powerful as his control over referees. Juventus, being the most successful and followed club in Italy, had an unspoken agreement with top media houses: don’t highlight mistakes that benefit Juve, or face consequences.

Any controversial referee decisions were conveniently not shown on TV. If 40,000 fans in a stadium saw something questionable, they wouldn’t find a replay later at home. The media’s job was to shape perception—and they did.

Moggi also manipulated the media using fear. Any journalist or outlet that refused to play ball would find themselves blacklisted. Their access to player interviews or transfer stories would vanish. And if that wasn’t enough, the media owners themselves were club stakeholders. Many had deep-rooted connections to Juventus or needed Juventus for insider news. No club access meant no readership—so they obeyed.

3. The Player Monopoly: GEA World

Perhaps the most disturbing pillar of Moggi’s empire was his influence over players through GEA World, a player agency owned by his son.

At one point, 1 in every 4 Serie A players was signed with GEA World. That’s 25% of Italy’s top-tier professionals under Moggi’s family umbrella.

Now imagine a club with 8-9 players signed to this agency. That club had no choice but to maintain good relations with Moggi if they wanted to keep their team intact. Transfers, negotiations, even playing time—it was all affected. And the worst part? GEA World allegedly used threats and coercion to force young talents to sign with them, leveraging ties to the criminal underworld.