Juventus have sacked manager Thiago Motta and appointed former player Igor Tudor as his replacement, the Serie A club announced on Sunday. The decision comes after two consecutive heavy defeats and a disappointing season that sees the club languishing in fifth place in the league standings.
Motta, appointed in June on a three-year contract after guiding Bologna to Champions League qualification last season, failed to ignite a turnaround in Turin. Juventus were beaten 3-0 at Fiorentina last weekend, following a 4-0 home loss to Atalanta. These results, combined with early exits from the Champions League (playoff loss to PSV Eindhoven) and the Coppa Italia (quarter-final defeat to Empoli on penalties), led to his dismissal.
“Juventus FC announces that it has relieved Thiago Motta of his position as coach of the men’s first team,” a club statement read. “Juventus FC also announces that it has entrusted the leadership of the Men’s First Team to Igor Tudor who will direct the first training session tomorrow.”
Tudor, 46, returns to Juventus, where he spent the majority of his playing career (arriving in 1998) and served as Andrea Pirlo’s assistant for one season in 2020. The Croatian has previously managed Udinese, Hellas Verona, and Lazio in Italy.
Motta’s tenure at Juventus was marked by inconsistency. Despite a 21-game unbeaten run in the league, the team drew 13 of those matches, effectively ending any title challenge. Recent heavy defeats, coupled with supporter unrest, ultimately sealed his fate. Motta had also made some tough call, with Federico Chiesa sold to Liverpool.
Juventus are currently fifth in Serie A, 12 points behind leaders Inter Milan. Their next match is at home against Genoa next Saturday. Tudor’s immediate task will be to stabilize the team and secure Champions League qualification, a minimum requirement for the Italian giants.
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