Thiago Motta was hired as Juventus coach in June last year, but was fired after just nine months and was replaced by Igor Tudor.
Motta’s exit came after two heavy league defeats in a row – 4-0 at home to Atalanta and 3-0 away to Fiorentina. This was apparently the last straw, after he had also led Juventus out of the Champions League and the Coppa Italia (which they won last season).
“It was inevitable,” journalist Julien Laurens said on BBC Radio 5 Live’s Euro Leagues podcast.
“You can’t lose 4-0 and 3-0 in two games in a row, at the same time as you get knocked out of the Champions League.
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Success at Bologna – but failing at Juventus
Motta, 42, a former midfielder for Barcelona, Inter Milan and PSG, was brought to Juventus after an impressive stint as Bologna coach. His progressive style of play transformed the club from a relegation contender to one that finished fifth in Serie A and qualified for the Champions League.
But this game philosophy was not seen much in Juventus.
“I felt sorry for him, because I’m a big fan of what he did in Bologna,” Laurens said.
“This does not mean that he is a bad coach, or that he cannot achieve great success later in his career. But perhaps this came too soon – it simply never took off.
Bad recruitment?
There is also reason to question Juventus’ transfer deal during Motta’s tenure. Just weeks after his arrival, midfielder Douglas Luiz was bought from Aston Villa for £42.35 million – a sign that he was going to be a key player. Still, Luiz only started three of the 17 league games he was available for.
At the same time, striker Moise Kean was sold to Fiorentina for £10 million – he is now Serie A’s second-leading goalscorer with 15 goals.
Motta focused on making Juventus defensively solid, which he succeeded in doing at the start (they didn’t concede a goal in the first six games). But it also limited the attacking play, and the team ended too many games in draws. From 1 September, they went 19 league games in a row without a loss – but 13 of them ended in a draw.
“We can’t blame Thiago Motta for all the player decisions, but he insisted on his style of play even though it seemed like he lost the dressing room,” said Italian journalist Mina Rzouki.
“He refused to be pragmatic, and with one of the youngest teams in the league, who lost confidence, it was a big mistake to stick to the philosophy.
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Bigger problems at Juventus?
Not everything is down to Motta – Juventus have challenges both on and off the pitch.
“Juventus is a chaos at all levels,” Rzouki said.
“They don’t have a main sponsor. Jeep abandoned them, and they were unable to find a replacement. That says everything about the management.
According to reports, sporting director Cristiano Giuntoli is under pressure for poor player and coach choices.
“Motta failed to make his project work, but it’s not just his fault,” Laurens said.
“The players and Giuntoli should also take their share of the blame. But as a coach, you pay the price – and the sacking was inevitable.
