Juventus squad's silence speaks volumes after coach Motta is replaced by Tudor
Juventus' head coach Thiago Motta looks down during the Serie A soccer match between Fiorentina and Juventus at Florence's Artemio Franchi stadium, Italy, Sunday March 16, 2025. Credit: AP/Alfredo Falcone
TURIN, Italy — The apparent discord between former coach Thiago Motta and the Juventus players grew on Monday, the day his successor Igor Tudor took charge of his first training session.
Only one of Motta’s former players publicly bid farewell to his old boss.
Motta was fired on Sunday, with Juventus out of all competitions and at risk of not qualifying for the Champions League after conceding seven goals in its past two Serie A matches and scoring none.
Motta, who was in his first season at Juventus after guiding Bologna to a Champions League spot, had reportedly lost the support of several key players as the Bianconeri was eliminated from the Champions League and Italian Cup.
Belgian youngster Samuel Mbangula, who was handed his senior debut by Motta, was the only Juventus player to post a message of support on social media.
“Thank you for everything mister,” Mbangula wrote on Instagram. “I can never thank you enough for having had faith in me right from the beginning and for having allowed me to fulfil part of my dream, the most important part in any case … I wish you the best for the future.”
While the Bianconeri players were noticeable in their silence, Motta’s fellow coaches — Inter Milan’s Simone Inzaghi and Atalanta’s Gian Piero Gasperini — expressed sympathy.
Juventus' head coach Thiago Motta watches the Serie A soccer match between Fiorentina and Juventus at Florence's Artemio Franchi stadium, Italy, Sunday March 16, 2025. Credit: AP/Alfredo Falcone
“I think he will return very quickly because he is a really good coach,” Inzaghi said.
Motta sent a brief message to Juventus fans.
“I have approached every obstacle with determination and a desire to improve every day,” the 42-year-old said.
“I’m grateful to the club’s ownership for giving me the opportunity to be part of this great team, to the management and staff for their daily support, and to the players for their hard work and dedication from day one.”
Lazio coach Igor Tudor gestures during the Serie A soccer match between Monza and Lazio at the U-Power Stadium in Monza, Italy, Saturday May 4 , 2024. Credit: AP/Alberto Mariani
Tudor's first training session only involved players who weren’t on international duty. The other 12 will return Tuesday or Wednesday.
The 46-year-old Tudor has reportedly been given a contract until the end of June, although it will be automatically renewed for another year if Juventus qualifies for the Champions League.
Juventus, which plays Genoa on Saturday, is a point below fourth-placed Bologna.
Tudor played for Juventus from 1998-2007. The Croatian previously coached Udinese, Hellas Verona and Lazio.
He was also an assistant coach to Andrea Pirlo at Juventus in 2020-21. The pair were fired at the end of that season.
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