Juventus made a significant investment at the start of the season to bring Douglas Luiz to the club, identifying the Brazilian midfielder as one of the finest talents available in Europe. As part of a wider effort to rejuvenate the squad under a new manager, the Bianconeri committed both financial resources and two players to secure Luiz’s signature, signalling their belief in his ability to strengthen their midfield options.
Luiz had just concluded an impressive campaign and arrived in Turin with high expectations. He was eager to take the next step in his career and welcomed the challenge of playing for a club with Juventus’s stature. However, his time in Italy has so far failed to live up to those expectations. His debut season has been marked by a string of injuries that have prevented him from building momentum. Even when fit, his performances on the pitch have largely fallen short of the standard anticipated when he joined the club.
There is growing concern that Juventus may have erred in committing to the deal, given Luiz’s lack of impact. However, questions have also been raised regarding how he has been managed. As cited by Football Italia, former Juventus midfielder Alessio Tacchinardi pointed to a specific example involving Thiago Motta’s handling of the player.
Tacchinardi recalled, “Juventus played against Cagliari just a few days after that handball against Leipzig. Motta was asked if he had spoken to Douglas, but he replied: ‘No, but he had a good attitude in training.’ I immediately thought: ‘Motta doesn’t talk to certain players.’ If you see somebody as one of your players, the next day in training, you try to motivate them. To me, it made no sense, but that was Motta’s approach. Perhaps, Emery made him feel important and texted him every day, saying, ‘You are my best player.’ I don’t think Douglas has forgotten how to play.”
Tacchinardi’s comments suggest that Luiz’s underwhelming performances may not solely be a matter of form or fitness, but also of management style. A player of his quality is unlikely to have lost his abilities entirely, and with the right guidance and motivation, he may still deliver on the promise that led Juventus to pursue him so aggressively.
