Juventus coach Thiago Motta has a poor relationship with several of his players, reveals La Gazzetta dello Sport (via IlBianconero).
Despite the team’s woeful results this season, the Italian Brazilian has often cut a calm and composed figure. But that wasn’t exactly the case on Wednesday night.
The Italian Brazilian had his first major media outburst since his arrival in Turin in the summer. Following the team’s shocking Coppa Italia elimination at the hands of Empoli, Motta said he felt ashamed, and so should his players whom he also accused of having the wrong attitude.
But as the pink newspaper explains, this situation has been boiling from the very start of the 42-year-old’s tenure at he club, as he failed to make himself popular amongst his players.
The source thus reveals three factors that created a rift between the manager and the squad, beginning with his too-direct approach. GdS claims that Motta has been too frank for his own good when making assessments. He reportedly has a knack for criticising his players in front of the whole group rather than taking them aside.
The second reason is the curious treatment of some of the players who were supposedly part of the group, only to be alienated by the coach. This is of course a reference to Danilo and Nicolo Fagioli who were pushed out of the door in January after being suddenly dropped from the manager’s plans.
Finally, the report notes how the constant shifting of the captain’s armband irked some of the senior players, particularly Federico Gatti. The latter started the campaign as the designated skipper, and has been forced to play non-stop due to the injury crisis.
But even in the absence of Manuel Locatelli (who has been recently appointed as the new first captain), Gatti has been snubbed in favour of Weston McKennie, as was the case on Wednesday night.
