Thiago Motta regained his serenity and composure after lashing out at Juventus players on Wednesday night following the Coppa Italia exit.
The 42-year-old has often cut a calm and collected figure, but the embarrassing elimination at the hands of Empoli instigated his first major media outburst since joining the club in the summer.
After the contest, the Italian Brazilian tactician told the press he felt ashamed of himself, as should the players following their hollow display. He also berated the Bianconeri stars for lacking the right attitude.
But after a few days of reflection, a much calmer Motta appeared in front of the media on Sunday to preview tomorrow’s Serie A contest against Hellas Verona.
The manager admitted the backlash of the last result wasn’t easy at all, while explaining his anger by citing his great passion towards his players.
“It wasn’t easy, because losing a game the way we did wasn’t simple. But at the same time, our duty is to think about the next game, prepare ourselves, train and be ready to face the next opponent as best we can,” said Motta in his pre-match press conference (via the official Juventus website).
“Our opponent tomorrow is Verona, it will be complicated, but at the same time we have great energy and a great desire to transform this anger and prove we are superior.
“There is great disappointment from everyone. I was angry after Empoli because I love my players very much and because I know them. My relationship with the group is excellent. There is honesty, sincerity and communication.
“In my role, I make decisions for which I spend a lot of time to avoid making mistakes, because I love the guys, but then there are decisions that I have to make, and for this reason our relationship is fantastic.”
The head coach has once again confirmed Manuel Locatelli as the current captain of this group.
“Our captain is Manuel Locatelli. There are many leaders in this group. The relationship has always been excellent with everyone. We are a united team, then when the results don’t go well, there is criticism. We are called to always give our best, that’s why I was angry after the game, also because I see how hard they work and how much they commit in training.”
Motta insists Verona have what it takes to cause trouble for his team, so he urges his player to keep their guard up.
“Hellas Verona is a good team and they come from a good victory over Fiorentina. Fans have the freedom to express themselves. We feel the same disappointment that the supporters felt. We have the same anger as them. We don’t want to repeat what we did in the Cup and we want to give our best. I expect a complicated match.”
