However Buffon, Italy's World Cup winning keeper in Germany, claims Juventus were made scapegoats for an affair which he feels should have led to stiffer sanctions for the four other clubs implicated.

In an interview to appear in Wednesday's edition of Grazia magazine, Buffon admitted that Juventus' punishment had been a necessary evil.

But the 28-year-old has hit out at what he sees as unfair treatment.

"I'm proud to have been punished, because it's given Juventus a chance to have a clear-out, a rehabilitation," he said.

"Now, we can hold our heads high and look everyone in the eye. I don't know if you could say the same for others."

Buffon continued: "I don't want to name names, but we've been made scapegoats for everyone who has lost out in this whole affair.

"A little bit of a clean-up in football does everyone some good, but all I've read is the (evidence from) tapped telephone calls concerning Juventus.

"How can it be possible that other clubs' top officials don't talk on the mobile phone?"

Unlike some former teammates, such as Fabio Cannavaro, Lilian Thuram and Emerson, who left to join other top flight clubs in Europe, Buffon decided to stay at the club.

But the keeper, a runner-up to Cannavaro in the European Footballer of the Year award last week, admits that may change.

"My heart told me to stay," he said. "I don't blame them (for leaving), they made a logical choice. It's me who made a totally illogical choice.

"When we were relegated I thought it was a terrible decision. But the team has given so much to me. I've become a great footballer thanks to Juventus, so it didn't seem right to just abandon the club."