Ever since last weekend’s heavy defeat to Fiorentina, Thiago Motta’s future as Coach of Juventus has been in doubt but now it seems certain he will soon be replaced by Igor Tudor.
According to multiple sources – including Sky Italia’s Gianluca Di Marzio – the change will take place on Monday, Tudor having already reached an agreement with over a contract until June with an option to extend the deal until 2026.
It is a wild shift in thinking from the Turin giants, who had seemed set to continue with Motta until at least the game against Genoa after the international break with former Italy boss Roberto Mancini linked with the role.
Why Thiago Motta lost Juventus job
There were of course plenty of reasons to sack Thiago Motta, many of which were discussed in this previous column. Juventus have crashed out of both the UEFA Champions League and Coppa Italia, leaving a top four finish in Serie A as their only realistic objective for the 2024/25 campaign.
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When results – including a 4-0 home loss to Atalanta and a 3-0 defeat at Fiorentina – threw that into doubt, it seems the Juve board were no longer willing to take the risk that persevering with Motta had become.
The financial implications of missing out on qualification to the Champions League are unthinkable for Juve, who already experienced that exact outcome under Max Allegri in 2022/2023.
That led to the club posting financial losses of $217 million for the 2023/24 season, with revenue for the 12 months to June 30, 2024 down to €394 million ($429 million). That represented a 22.3% decrease from the €507 million ($552 million) they generated in 2023 when they were in the Champions League.
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Igor Tudor represents Juventus values
Arguably the biggest issue for Motta was his complete failure to deliver the promising tactical outlook seen during his Bologna tenure, Juve too often looking disjointed and devoid of ideas over the last two months.
Injuries of course played their part, but an overall league record of 13 wins, 13 draws and three losses is not what Juve expected when they appointed Motta back in the summer, now finding themselves one point behind fourth place with nine games remaining.
Speaking on Sky Italia following the Fiorentina loss, Juventus legend Alessandro Del Piero surmised that “the serious issue is that there was no reaction” and that the performance “did not reflect the Juventus spirit at all.”
Ultimately, it is that opinion which has led to the impending arrival of Tudor, a former Croatia international who spent seven and a half years at Juventus between 1998 and 2005.
He made 174 appearances for the Bianconeri, mostly as a central defender or midfielder with a reputation for tough tackling, aerial dominance and tactical intelligence and returned to Juve as Andrea Pirlo’s Assistant Coach for the 2020/21 season.
Very much embodying the values of Marcello Lippi’s second tenure, he was a smart player who worked tirelessly and gave 100% at all times. It is that determination, spirit and dedication that Juventus now hope will allow Igor Tudor to rescue a season that has not gone as planned.