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Where Did It All Go Wrong For Thiago Motta? - The Highs And The Lows
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Where Did It All Go Wrong For Thiago Motta? - The Highs And The Lows

Where Did It All Go Wrong For Thiago Motta?

Thiago Motta had some playing career, applying his trade with FC Barcelona, Inter Milan and Paris St-Germain, achieving 29 trophies including two UEFA Champions Leagues. Midfielders often turn out to be great mangers, the likes of Pep Guardiola, Carlo Ancelotti, Zinedine Zidane, Antonio Conte and Diego Simeone all backing that theory. However, Motta’s managerial luck seems to be fizzling out.

Humble Beginnings

After spending seven years with Paris St-Germain and retired at the French club, he was given the reigns to manage the Under 19s. Across the 26-game season, Motta and his players earned themselves a second-place finish, racking up 58 points come the final day. Winning 18, losing four and drawing four wasn’t enough to clinch the title but the Italian managed his team to averaging 2.23 points per match.

His next managerial role was at another one of his former teams, Genoa but his time it didn’t go as well. Motta lasted just 10 games in charge. He got off to a great start, coming back from a 0-1 deficit to end up winning the match 3-1 but it was all downhill after that as at the time of Motta’s exit, Genoa sat rock bottom of Serie A.

Thiago Motta was officially appointed as Spezia manager on the 5th of July 2021, having the tough task of replacing Vincenzo Italiano who was set to join Fiorentina. Facing a transfer ban and a squad with no real standout talents other than goalkeeper Ivan Provedel and Jakub Kiwior, it looked like another early December exit for Motta. To a lot of people’s surprise, Motta turned Spezia’s season around in January, winning Serie A Coach of the Month and ensured their relegation survival, keeping them in the topflight of Italian football with a game to spare. Motta and Spezia came to a mutual agreement to end his contract in the summer allowing him to take the Bologna job.

Gaining Momentum

Following his success of keeping Spezia safe of relegation, Bologna took a chance on him and so in September of 2022, Motta was their man in charge. Having finished in 13th in the previous season, Thiago Motta lead his Bologna side to their first top 10 finish in the last four years, ending the campaign in ninth.

Things got even better the following season, once more winning a Serie A Coach of the Month not once but twice in the months of February and March. Those efforts ensured Bologna to earn themselves a UEFA Champions League berth for the first time since the 1964/65 season. Motta led his side to fifth placed after 38 domestic games, getting there with 18 wins, six losses and 14 draws. Those results left I Rossoblù to their highest ever Serie A points tally, totalling up to a record 54 points.

Juve Woes

Of the back of his major success with Bologna, on of Italy’s giants came calling in Juventus to see if Motta could do a better job than Massimiliano Allegri. It wasn’t just Juve though with Liverpool interested in acquiring the Italian’s services as a replacement for the beloved Jürgen Klopp. It’s safe to say that all Liverpool fans are very happy that Arne Slot took the job instead with a Premier League title all but secured.

Long story short, he couldn’t. Motta lasted less than a full season with only 42 games as boss under his belt. Domestically and Juventus still have a chance to qualify for next season’s UEFA Champions League but a poor run of form and being knocked out of the Coppa Italia by relegation threatened Empoli, losing in the Supercoppa Italiana Semi-Finals at the hands of AC Milan and being dumped out of UEFA Champions League by PSV Eindhoven essentially saw Motta and Juventus parting ways on the 23rd of March. In the Serie A he was averaging 1.67 points per game but with Juventus’ cutthroat approach for trophies, Thiago Motta didn’t seem like the right man for the job.

What’s Next For Thiago Motta?

As of right now a bit of a break for Thiago Motta looks likely with no serious job offers being thrown around. It seems harsh given what Juventus this domestic campaign have achieved and with only 10 Serie A matches left in the 2024/25 season, it begs the question of should they have just let Motta go once the season was over.

Benji Kosartiyer
Journalist
Luca Testa

Lead Writer

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