Luciano Moggi insists Ciro Ferrara is not to blame for Juventus' crisis.
Juve face tumbling out of the top four, with Ferrara battling to keep his job.
Ex-Juve sports director Moggi said: "How many chances does Ferrara have left? Few. And not because he is at fault. For Ciro, at most, he should not bear any responsibility.
"I have always said, during the recruitment drive, they had to sign a '10'. Or take someone like Maradona, who is capable of winning games.
"Diego is certainly one of the misunderstandings of Juventus. The other is certainly Felipe Melo, a midfielder and not a director. The fact that Juve is in these conditions is the mistake of the person who has bought these players, but everything falls on Ferrara."