Juventus sack Thiago Motta after just eight months in charge, with Igor Tudor set to replace him

Thiago Motta has officially been sacked by Juventus, as announced by the club on Sunday. (Image credits - FMT, License Details)

The 36-time Italian champions, Juventus, have announced the sacking of their head coach, Thiago Motta, ending his short reign after just eight months in charge, after a devastating 4-0 loss to Atalanta at home.

The club announced Motta’s dismissal and Igor Tudor as his replacement via an official statement on Sunday which stated, “Juventus FC announces that it has relieved Thiago Motta of his position as coach of the men’s first team. Juventus FC also announces that it has entrusted the leadership of the men’s first team to Igor Tudor, who will direct the first training session tomorrow.” (sic)

Motta’s appointment came with hopes of bringing back fluid offensive football after replacing Massimiliano Allegri. However, despite showing promise with the young talents, the Bionocerri failed to achieve results under the former Bologna manager.

Despite losing only three games in the league so far, the Old Lady have drawn thirteen times, which has resulted in them being placed at fifth place with just 52 points in 29 matches.

On top of a disappointing campaign in the league so far, the Italian giants have also seen themselves being eliminated from the Champions League in the knockout playoffs to underdogs Feyenoord.

Motta’s team had been labelled as one of the most boring teams to watch this season, also prompting the club board to make major changes in the management.

According to reports, the Italian manager even had fallouts with multiple key players in the squad, making him the “villain” of the dressing room.

Who is Igor Tudor and can he bring Juventus' identity back?

Igor Tudor will take the helm of the dressing room as an interim coach with immediate effect, being the successor of Thiago Motta.

As per reports from Tuttosport, Tudor has been given the target to lead Juventus to a top 4 finish in the Serie A this season, securing a spot in next year’s Champions League.

The Croatian manager is a former Juventus player, who spent a major part of his career at the Turin club, having also spent a year as the club’s junior team coach in 2020 and therefore, being well acquainted with the club's identity and philosophy.

The 46-year-old has had short-term managerial roles at Udinese, Hellas Verona, and Lazio, with his most memorable tenure being at Udinese, saving them from relegation in the 2017/18 season.

Tudor’s experience in short-term roles as a head coach makes him a perfect fit for his new interim role at Juventus.

On top of that, the Croatian’s familiarity with several players of the squad also gives him an advantage to implement his tactics and game plan quickly.