Federico Chiesa has reacted after Thiago Motta was sacked by Juventus, having previously frozen the forward out in Turin prior to his move to Liverpool
Comments
Sport
Federico Chiesa of Liverpool in conversation with Arne Slot during the UEFA Champions League 2024/25 League Phase MD8 match between PSV Eindhoven and Liverpool FC at PSV Stadion
Federico Chiesa of Liverpool in conversation with Arne Slot during the UEFA Champions League 2024/25 League Phase MD8 match between PSV Eindhoven and Liverpool FC at PSV Stadion
(Image: 2025 Rene Nijhuis/MB Media)
Federico Chiesa has reacted to Thiago Motta’s sacking as Juventus head coach. Liverpool signed the Italy international in an initial £10m deal last summer, but were only able to bring in the forward for a cut-price fee because he had been deemed surplus to requirements in Turin.
The 27-year-old had a year left on his contract at Juventus, but was bombed out by Motta following his arrival from Bologna. Frozen out by the former Italy international, he was made to train away from the first team squad throughout pre-season.
Article continues below
"Chiesa and all the other players not called up for the game are not part of the project," Motta said in early August. "We have been clear with them.
READ MORE: Arda Guler hits back at Dominik Szoboszlai as war of words with Liverpool man escalatesREAD MORE: Dominik Szoboszlai mocks Real Madrid man as Liverpool defender axed from team
“They have to find a new solution and new club as soon as possible. The decision has been made."
Chiesa ultimately did not complete his move away until the end of the month. And having endured a disrupted summer, it left the Italian playing catch up once he did join Liverpool, with it little surprise when he was struck down by injury.
He had previously not played since Italy’s Euro 2024 exit at the end of June. Missing the majority of the first half of the season through injury, he has been limited to a bit-part role under Arne Slot since his return.
However, the forward put in an eye-catching cameo off the bench in Liverpool’s League Cup final defeat to Newcastle United, scoring their consolation goal at Wembley, and will hope to have a greater impact during the Premier League title run-in.
Despite his limited game-time, Chiesa’s father, Enrico, recently insisted his son is happy at Anfield and has no regrets about leaving Juventus.
“I can guarantee that Federico is very happy at Liverpool,” hetold Tuttosport newspaper. “He is at a top club that is leading the Premier League and now we hope he can win the title!
“He is there to have his say and to play, he has a great opportunity. Regrets are the excuses of the defeated. No, there are no regrets (about his Juventus exit). He’s so happy at Liverpool.”
But despite having no regrets about his Turin exit, Chiesa has hinted how he feels about his former manager following Motta’s sacking by Juventus with supporters noticing he had liked Italian journalist Fabrizio Romano’s post on Instagram confirming the decision.
Meanwhile, former Liverpool loanee Arthur Melo liked the official Juventus account's post on Instagram confirming the managerial change, with Igor Tudor taking over until the end of the season. The Brazilian is currently on loan at Girona, having also been frozen out by Motta and failing to make an appearance for the Serie A giants during the first half of the season.
Following his sacking, a statement from Motta was published on the Juventus official website.
It read: “I have approached every obstacle with determination and a desire to improve every day.
“I’m grateful to the club’s ownership for giving me the opportunity to be part of this great team, to the management and staff for their daily support, and to the players for their hard work and dedication from day one. I wish Juventus and its fans all the best for the future.”
Juventus currently sit fifth in Serie A, a point and a place behind Motta’s former club Bologna. While they had lost only three of their 29 league matches under the Italian, they had also only won 13 and drawn 13.
Meanwhile, they had been knocked out of the Champions League in the knock-out phase play-offs by PSV Eindhoven, having finished 20th in the inaugural league phase with three wins, three draws and two defeats from their eight games. Juventus were also knocked out of the Coppa Italia by Empoli on penalties in the quarter-finals.
Article continues below
Chiesa,who has been back in his native Italy during the international break after being overlooked for national team duty, has repeatedly been linked with a return to Serie A, given his limited role at Liverpool, despite both his agent and father insisting he is happy at Anfield. It remains to be seen if he will move on in the summer, or whether a Juventus return could even be possible following Motta’s sacking.
The forward might not have any regrets about leaving his former club, but by liking Romano’s post confirming Motta’s sacking, it would appear that there is no love lost between Chiesa and his former head coach.
And should Liverpool go on to win the Premier League, with the Reds currently 12 points clear at the top of the table with nine games left to play, Chiesa could perhaps enjoy the last laugh over the man who ended his Juventus career in unceremonious circumstances.