Legendary Italian coach Marcello Lippi didn’t expect to see Thiago Motta at Juventus, as he thought his former employers would have opted for a different profile.
The 76-year-old is one of the most successful managers of his generation. In addition to leading the Italian national team towards a World Cup triumph in 2006, he also had two memorable spells in Turin. Therefore, Lippi’s words still weigh heavily on the club’s supporters.
The former China manager also had a special rapport with Max Allegri who considered him a role model.
But when the Livorno native was shown the door at the end of the previous campaign, Lippi expected Juventus to appoint a manager who would be popular with the fanbase rather than a profile like Motta.
“He is a capable coach, focused, dedicated to his work, but after Allegri, I imagined seeing a figure who would connect with the fans more,” said the iconic coach in his interview with ANSA via IlBianconero.
While Motta isn’t necessarily an unpopular figure with the fanbase, he’s much more focused on the tactical and technical aspects rather than the emotional links with Juventus and their supporters.
The Italian Brazilian also had a similar approach during his playing days. For instance, despite representing Inter for four seasons and winning the famous treble, he hardly showed any affection towards the Nerazzurri in recent years, preferring to adopt a professional approach when it comes to his former employers.
Lippi also believes the new Juventus project will require some time although patience is a rare virtue amongst the big clubs.
“Juventus have embarked on a new path and time is needed, a luxury that is difficult to grant to teams like Juve, Inter and Milan who are fighting for the top spots.”
Finally, the World Cup-winning manager weighed in on the unpleasant Dusan Vlahovic situation, as the Serbian bomber now finds himself excluded from the starting lineup following Randal Kolo Muani’s arrival.
“I have had to manage situations like this. I have always acted by giving confidence even to players who did not deserve it at that moment but for what they had done in the past.”
