Juventus deserve bigger crowds says Moggi

Juventus have appealed to their fans to turn out in greater numbers after Sunday's big game with Inter attracted a smaller crowd than a third division game played on the same day.

The near 68,000 capacity Delle Alpi stadium was less than half full for the visit of Juve's rivals Inter with just 33,772 fans turning out to watch the 2-0 victory - less than attended Napoli's Serie C1 match with Juve Stabia.

"The club has made major investments to offer our fans an appealing product," Juve general manager Luciano Moggi said yesterday.

"The response has been, to say the least, disappointing."

"The team needs to feel the backing of the fans. Thirty thousand is the sort of figure you'd expect for a provincial outfit but Sunday was Juve vs Inter - a match between two teams chasing the title."

The win made it six victories from six for Fabio Capello's side in Serie A and their 100 per cent record has also been maintained in two Champions League games.

Coach Capello last week said his team had got used to playing in front of small crowds after little over 11,000 turned out to watch Juve beat Austria's Rapid Vienna in the Champions League.

Moggi said that Juve were offering a high quality of football which merited greater backing from the club's supporters.

"This is a great Juve which is capable of winning and entertaining," he said. "To find a team as entertaining as this one you need to go back in time to the days of Milan with Ruud Gullit and Marco van Basten or Napoli with Maradona and Careca."

The club have adopted a flexible ticket policy which may have back-fired for Sunday's game.

While women and children have been offered radically discounted season tickets, some as cheap as 19 euros, for Sunday's games tickets for the home end were on sale at 50 euros.

Market research frequently cites Juventus as the most popular club in Italy but their support is also the most dispersed with many fans in the south of the country far from the windswept and unloved Delle Alpi stadium.

Juve plan to redevelop the venue, built for the 1990 World Cup finals, replacing the athletics track and building new stands close to the edge of the pitch.

The result will be a more compact venue hosting just 40,000 but current trends indicate that will be plenty of space for the Turin team's support.

"Luckily we will soon have the new stadium which will be a better size and more comfortable," said Moggi.

Until 1990 Juventus played at the Stadio Comunale, closer to the centre of the city.

The Comunale has been redeveloped for next year's Winter Olympics and will then become home to Torino, who currently share the Delle Alpi with Juventus.