Former Juventus coach Tiago Motta didn’t appear destined to become a manager back in his playing days, at least according to his former teammate Julio Cesar.
The two Brazilian compatriots played side-by-side at Inter, and went on to win the famous treble under Jose Mourinho in the 2009/10 campaign.
Cesar’s heroics between the posts were instrumental, while Motta added flair and creativity to the middle of the park, albeit he missed the Champions League final after seeing red in the second leg of the semi-final against Barcelona at Camp Nou.
After hanging his boots, Motta immediately put on the coach’s hat, taking over Paris Saint-Germain’s youth ranks.
The 42-year-old then had several experiences in Italian football, including ones at Genoa and Spezia, before rising to stardom during his two-year spell at Bologna.
Motta guided the Rossoblu towards a historic Champions League qualification before deciding to vacate his post in favour of joining Juventus, which turned out to be an ill-advised decision in hindsight.
Nevertheless, Cesar was still surprised by his former teammate’s managerial exploits, as he didn’t expect him to become a coach in the first place.
“I didn’t imagine Thiago becoming a coach, to tell you the truth, because he’s always been a closed person, a man of few words,” said the legendary goalkeeper in his interview with Goal via IlBianconero.
“Sometimes, we used to talk in the dressing room, but I didn’t think he had it in him. I saw it more in [Esteban] Cuchu Cambiasso.
“But Thiago was a very intelligent person, you could see it already, because he wasn’t exactly a fast player, but was very good with the ball at his feet. He used to do two, three or four touches maximum on the ball. He had an incredible vision.
“I wasn’t surprised by what he achieved in Bologna. Maybe it just wasn’t the right time for Thiago at Juventus.”
Interstingly, some reports in the Italian media cited Motta’s lack of communication skills as one of the reasons that rendered him an unpopular figure in the Juventus locker room.
