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    Why Juventus May Sack Him Soon

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    Thiago Motta joined Juventus in summer 2024, after leading Bologna to Champions League qualification for the first time in the club’s history. Everything seemed promising, with Motta helping players like Joshua Zirkzee reach their potential. 

    His Bologna side were entertaining, as he preached a fluid style of football. Less than a year later, he is on the brink of being fired by the Old Lady. From glory to hell, Motta is the latest victim of the ‘Juventus curse’: here is the story of what went wrong for Motta in Torino. 

    A Club Without Direction

    Thiago Motta joined the club after three years of outdated Allegri Mauro tactics. It wasn’t his first stint, but re-hiring him demonstrated Juventus lacked a plan. This came after the club had tried hiring Maurizio Sarri and Andrea Pirlo, another club legend. 

    Motta fits in the Pirlo suite – he might be more experienced, but lacks top-level experience. When a manager manages Juventus, instant results are expected. Although Juventus rank as one of the best teams in the league on the defensive end, they drew 13 matches out of 29 in Serie A – close to half of them. This is unacceptable for the fans, but would not lead to a sack. 

    Tactical Failures and Injury Woes

    In the last months it went from bad to worse. Juventus lack coordination, with Motta struggling to implant his ideas in his players’ mind. As such, there has been no clear direction, with a squad that has not helped Motta’s case either. 

    This is where sporting director Cristiano Giuntoli must be held accountable. Going from Sarri to Motta through Allegri reveals that the sporting department lacks a clear vision: this sets up any manager to fail, especially rookies like Pirlo and Motta. 

    On the other hand, injuries have also been an issue. Some were simply unlucky – such as defender Bremer, whose injury after six match days left him out for the rest of the season. 

    He was a key pillar in Motta’s plans, due to his unique athletic profile in the squad. With him gone, Motta had to find an alternative – which he could not. However, this is also where Guintoli must be held responsible for failing to address squad short-comings. 

    Other injuries were amateur mistakes from Motta himself, such as overplaying Teun Koopmeiners. He kept featuring despite the risks of injury – which is where Motta must be criticized. As a coach, he is responsible for the players he fields, and in this case, Motta’s carelessness for one of his most important stars reveals a lack of professionalism from his side. 

    The Turning Point: Devastating Defeats

    I previously mentioned the results. It all went downhill after Juventus were knocked by PSV in the second leg (3-1), an unexpected result where Juventus appeared toothless in front of goal. 

    This has been a major issue, which is why Kolo Muani was brought in the first place. Dušan Vlahović cannot bring the mentality monster, almighty scorer in the box profile, while Arkadiusz Milik is an ageing player whose fitness issues only get worse as time passes. 

    Even this was not enough – although it was one of the major talking points throughout the season: a lack of reliable forwards. 

    A few weeks later, Juventus were caught off-guard by Empoli in the Coppa Italia, as Juventus fell short on penalties. 

    However, if one had to name one match that was crucial to Motta’s downfall, it is undoubtedly the 4-0 defeat against Atalanta. According to Italian pundits and ex-Juventus legends, this is when Motta lost the trust of the dressing room. Thiago Motta recognized his team had his “rock-bottom”, realizing he had blundered. 

    A victory would have allowed Juventus to remain in the title race. Most believed that this would be his final match; it was not. While Juventus’ board members insisted they trusted Motta in front of the media, there was an important meeting behind the scenes that took place to decide about his future. 

    Behind the Scenes: The Smokescreen of Support

    After the notorious 4-0 debacle, Juventus suffered another humiliation as they lost 4-0 to Fiorentina. For many, this was the moment to sack him. The international break is on; there was never a more opportune time to part ways. However, the club has so far supported him. However, this is the official version – pundits and insiders of the club have no doubt that this is a smokescreen: Motta is about to get sacked and his time is almost over. 

    Looking Forward: The Institutional Problem

    It is however hard to blame Motta for everything – the institutional crisis at the club is no novelty. Since Sarri was sacked, it became clear that Juventus were navigating uncertain waters. The difference in coaching styles, hiring two rookies (Motta and Pirlo), the return of Allegri: Juventus must learn from their past mistakes. 

    While Allegri’s return lasted three years, Pirlo and Motta have had no more than a year. To most football experts, it is known that this is too little – most projects only come to fruition after three years. This is only truer of a club which lacks a vision – as previously mentioned with the sporting directors’ role in supporting the newly-arrived head coach with fitting signings.

    If Juventus want to bring their success back – they should part ways with Motta. However, it is senseless to sack him with less than ten matches remaining, which would also punish his successor with media criticism while everything is already lost. 

    Projects need time, and they need coordination. This is why most coaches are hired in summer, allowing work behind the scenes to take their time for important decision-making without worrying about matches. If Juventus want to become a serious institution once again, they need to show patience – and stick with Motta until summer. 

    In the past, Juventus sacked because they were done with their coaches – but rarely did the replacement seem ‘logical’. 

    A vision must be set, with a fitting coach. At the moment, not many would be willing to come to coach Juventus, due to the risk of getting sacked like Pirlo or Sarri. Meanwhile, Juventus fans have not hidden their anger, booing their team in the 4-0 against Atalanta.

    The next weeks will be hell for Motta, whether sacked or not. He reportedly lost the dressing room and the trust of the board, which is more indicative of a trainwreck more than anything else. 

    However, a sling as Juve don’t implement a vision, where they take advantage of their talented youth academy, and do not find a fitting coach, sacking Motta only buys some time before the ticking bomb explodes. 

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