Juventus has ended Thiago Motta`s time as their manager. The club decided to dismiss him before the current season concluded. Juventus` sporting director, Cristiano Giuntoli, quickly chose Igor Tudor, previously the coach of Lazio, to take over as manager until the end of the season.
Juventus announced in a statement on Sunday that Thiago Motta had been relieved of his duties as the First Team coach. They thanked Motta and his team for their hard work and dedication during their time at the club and wished them well for the future. The statement also announced Igor Tudor as the new head coach, mentioning that he would start his first training session on Monday, March 24.
Igor Tudor is familiar with Juventus, having played for them before and served as Andrea Pirlo`s assistant coach in the 2020-21 season. After that, he managed Hellas Verona, Olympique Marseille, and briefly Lazio. Despite initially being intended to lead Lazio for a longer period, Tudor left after just three months. Lazio then hired Marco Baroni as their new coach in the summer of 2024.
Motta`s time at Juventus was considered unsuccessful, especially after high expectations followed his appointment to start a new chapter after Massimiliano Allegri`s departure. Despite still being in contention for a Champions League spot, Juventus was eliminated from the Coppa Italia by Empoli and from the UEFA Champions League playoffs by PSV.
Beyond just results, Motta struggled to bring the exciting style of play he demonstrated at Bologna last season, where he led them to their first-ever Champions League qualification. Additionally, reports suggest that some key players, including Dusan Vlahovic and Kenan Yildiz, were unhappy with his coaching.
Juventus will play against Genoa in Turin next week after the international break. This match will mark Igor Tudor`s first game as Juventus manager. He is expected to remain in charge at least until the end of the FIFA Club World Cup. In their recent Serie A matches against Fiorentina and Atalanta, Juventus conceded seven goals and scored none. The 4-0 defeat at home against Atalanta was their worst home loss in Serie A since 1967. These poor results contributed to the club`s decision to make a change in management, leading to Motta`s early departure.
Adrian Whitmore 
Benedict Kingsley