Thiago Motta is no longer protected by high walls, as the rest of the Juventus campaign will determine his fate.
Despite the club’s underwhelming season, the Bianconeri’s management continued to publicly and privately support the 42-year-old. As the club’s directors reiterated, the Italian Brazilian tactician was chosen to lead a long-term project, so a few stumbles along the way in the first campaign had already been envisioned.
Nevertheless, the early Champions League elimination has been hard to swallow even for Motta’s staunchest defenders at Continassa.
The Bianconeri ended the group stage in a disappointing 20th place which forced them to enter the play-off round as an unseeded club. The Italians beat PSV at home in the first leg, but their one-goal advantage wasn’t enough to progress, as the Dutch champions equalized the scoring on aggregate before advancing to the Round of 16 thanks to an extra-time winner.
So according to Il Corriere dello Sport via IlBianconero, this result could drastically change the perception around Motta, as his future in Turin is no longer as certain as it once was.
While a mid-season sacking could be easily ruled out (as he’s unlikely to pull off a Max Allegri outburst), the management will decide the tactician’s fate at the end of the season, and the outcome will largely hinge on Champions League qualification.
Juve’s early exit from Europe will cost the club a sizable amount of cash, but missing out on the tournament altogether would be a killer blow for the Bianconeri from a financial standpoint, as they’re already struggling to balance their accounts.
Therefore, Juventus won’t tolerate a failure on this front. So if Motta fails to steer the club towards a Top Four finish, he’s unlikely to see a second year at Continassa, explains the source.
The Old Lady currently sits fourth in the Serie A standings, but Lazio remain on par on points, while Milan and Fiorentina aren’t too far behind.
