Thiago Motta has expressed his frustration with the performance of Juventus’ attackers following their goalless draw against Club Brugge, a result that has left the Bianconeri facing the prospect of a place in the Champions League playoffs rather than securing automatic progression. Juventus, despite boasting some of the best-attacking talents in Italian football, has struggled to convert chances into goals this season, and the manager is not happy with this trend.
The match against Club Brugge was a must-win for Juventus, yet they failed to find the back of the net, leaving them disappointed and with a difficult road ahead in Europe. Despite the team’s efforts to remain competitive, Motta is calling for more from his forwards. His comments in the post-match press conference were initially interpreted as harsh criticism of his attackers, leading to widespread misunderstanding and media outlets running with the narrative that he was openly chastising his players.
In the days following the match, Motta felt compelled to clarify his remarks. As Juventus prepares for their crucial fixture against Napoli this weekend, the manager explained his position. Motta said as quoted by Calciomercato “After the match against Brugge, I gave a warning to our forwards, but I saw it as a criticism. I criticise if the attitude is lacking, but the attitude of my players is impeccable. My warning comes from the fact that I know the potential of my forwards and I know how much they can give. I know that it is difficult to express yourself at your best with so many things off the pitch that I know about, but I spoke to them precisely because I know that they can help us.”
Motta’s comments made it clear that his frustration was not with the attitude of the players, which he praised, but with the potential he knows they have and the expectation that they should be performing better. Despite the difficulties they may face off the pitch, the manager is adamant that his forwards have the ability to contribute significantly to the team’s success.
With the team heading into a pivotal clash with Napoli, Motta is focused on ensuring that all areas of the squad, including the attackers, improve. “We have to do much better in every area of our team, and our attackers should know this,” he concluded.
As Juventus look to bounce back from their European setback, the onus is on their attacking players to step up and help the team reach its full potential.
