Thiago Motta Appointed New Juventus Coach

Thiago Motta Appointed New Juventus Coach

Italian giants Juventus named Thiago Motta as their new coach on Wednesday, replacing Massimiliano Allegri who was sacked last month.

“It’s official, the next Juventus coach will be Thiago Motta. The Italian-Brazilian has signed with Juventus until June 30, 2027,” the club announced in a statement.

Motta, 41, previously managed Serie A rivals Bologna.

“I am really very happy to start a new experience at the helm of a big club like Juventus,” said Motta, who, according to Italian press, will earn an annual salary of 3.5 million euros ($3.8 million).

Last season, Motta led Bologna to fifth place in Serie A and secured their first-ever Champions League qualification.

The former Italian international was part of the squad that finished runner-up at the 2012 European Championships. He also won five French championships with PSG and played in Champions League-winning teams at Barcelona and Inter Milan.

Juventus will be his fourth club as a coach, after stints at Genoa (2019), La Spezia (2021-22), and Bologna.

Juventus finished last season in third place in Serie A, 23 points behind champions Inter Milan. However, they clinched the Italian Cup for the 15th time.

Their season ended painfully with just three wins in 17 league matches, having been close behind Inter at the start of the year.

Juventus fired Allegri for his explosive behavior during the team’s Italian Cup triumph, which the club deemed “incompatible” with its values. Allegri was sent off in the final minutes of the 1-0 win against Atalanta for ranting at match officials and allegedly manhandling and threatening the chief editor of newspaper Tuttosport.

His behavior led to an investigation by the Italian Football Federation’s disciplinary authorities. The 56-year-old won 12 trophies, including five Serie A titles, and reached two Champions League finals with Juventus over two spells as manager.