Sadly for Thiago Motta, he now finds himself in an unenviable spot, as many believe a defeat against Fiorentina would spell the end of his Juventus tenure.
The Bianconeri suffered three shocking defeats at the hands of PSV Eindhoven, Empoli and Atalanta in recent weeks, with each serving as a painful blow for a campaign that never truly took off.
So while Cristiano Giuntoli and the rest of the management had been staunchly defending the under-fire tactician earlier this season, Motta now looks like an isolated figure in Turin with very little support.
Hence, if Juventus were to return defeated from Florence on Sunday night, this might prove to be the final nail in the 42-year-old’s coffin.
Therefore, Calciomercato wonders what’s going through the minds of the Bianconeri stars at the moment, and how they will react.
Will the players decide to give it all out on the bench in a desperate attempt to save what’s left of this miserable campaign, and consequently keep their manager in the dugout, or will they show signs of complecency, as some might be intrigued the see the back of Italian Brazilian tactician who might not necessarily be the most popular figure in the locker room, at least if rumours are to be believed.
It should be noted that Motta has reacted differently to the aforementioned defeats, leaving observers to wonder about the nature of his relationship with the players. The manager took the blame for the Champions League elimination, claiming the team had the right approach, but then had a massive outburst after the Coppa Italia exit.
In any case, Juventus fans will expect the players to act professionally, regardless of their feelings towards the coach, especially considering the importance of the fixture against their arch-rivals Fiorentina while being embroiled in a tight race for fourth place.
