LET US PRETEND THAT YOU ARE AN ambitious executive at a big club. You are relatively successful, but you are not satisfied. You know you can do much better, even though some of your rivals have more money. So what do you do? Well, if you do not mind occasionally stepping on to the wrong side of the law, you may wish to follow the alleged methods of Luciano Moggi, the Juventus general manager, who, over the past decade, appears to have turned Serie A into his personal fiefdom.

The first step is to accumulate power. And in football that comes in different guises: money, influence over the FA and the League, control of players and referees. You have some money, but not enough to control everything financially, so it is best to focus on the other elements.

The head of the League is elected by the clubs. The head of the FA is also, effectively, determined by the clubs, in the sense that they exert influence over who gets the job. Thus, it is essential that you befriend as many clubs as possible, particularly smaller ones, because their vote counts as much as those of the big ones.

The way to do this is to do them favours. Start by loaning them players and talk up the brilliance of their chairmen at league meetings.

EXHIBIT ONE

Moggi, talking to Andrea Dalla Valle, a Fiorentina official, when the club was in danger of relegation with two weeks to go: “The problem is you didn’t come to me sooner. See, you didn’t know how things worked and you were hurt by it. Let’s see what we can work out so that you’re treated fairly from now on.”

Once your man is elected to run the FA, make it very clear that he owes his job to you and must do what you say. If he steps out of line be firm and swift in your response.

EXHIBIT TWO

Moggi talking to Innocenzo Mazzini, vice-president of the Italian FA, after Franco Carraro, head of the FA, talked about more “transparent” refereeing: “Tell him not to bust our balls. Better yet, I’ll talk to him and put him in his place.”

The referee selectors are crucial. They need to pass the message on to the officials that, if they make mistakes that hurt your club, their careers will be going nowhere.

EXHIBIT THREE

Moggi talking to Paolo Bergamo, one of Serie A’s two referee selectors, complaining about Pierluigi Collina and Roberto Rosetti, the officials, whose refereeing was too “objective”.

“If you don’t punish Rosetti and Collina, all the other refs will feel entitled to do as they please. We don’t need them breaking our balls!” Some officials will nevertheless be independent and want to apply the laws of the game. When that happens, you need to get tough. Assaulting them after a game and locking them in the referees’ dressing-room is one way to do it.

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