Former Barcelona boss Xavi, ex-Italy manager Roberto Mancini and Igor Tudor are three potential candidates to join the Turin titans if the axe is wielded.
Brazilian-born Motta signed a three-year deal last summer, joining the Bianconeri from Bologna, to kick off what has been referred to as Project Motta. He was hand-picked by Juve director Cristiano Giuntoli.
The club has spent freely over Motta’s two transfer windows, totalling €220 million (US$229m) as part of the revamp. Being knocked out before the Champions League last 16 has proved costly, missing out on UEFA bonuses.
Juve crashed out of the Champions League to PSV Eindhoven. A week later the Coppa Italia defending champions fell in the quarter-finals to visiting Empoli, and were booed off the pitch by their own supporters.
Former Inter Milan midfielder lashed out publicly about the team display, and included an apology to the club and their fans.
Emergency meeting
Being unceremoniously dumped out of two cup competitions immediately brought his tenure under scrutiny. An emergency meeting took place with Juventus big-wigs comprising president Gianluca Ferrero, CEO Maurizio Scanavino, Giuntoli and Motta.
Giuntoli told Sky Sport Italia after the meeting: “We believe in the project that started last summer, one that creates value by giving many young players opportunities.
“We are confident [that] it will bring us great satisfaction in the future. Motta is not under discussion. We remain convinced that the project is on the right track.”
Motta survived this emergency meeting, given a vote of confidence, but he may not still be in charge when Juventus tackle the highly-lucrative Club World Cup in mid-June.
Much depends on whether he can steer the club to a top four Serie A finish, which would guarantee playing in the Champions League next season.
The 42-year-old has picked up maximum points in their past four league games, and only lie eight points behind Serie A table-topping Inter Milan. Atalanta and Napoli are also chasing the Scudetto, with Juventus in the mix if they maintain their momentum.
Make-or-break time
With Fiorentina and Lazio also in the chase for a top four finish, it is now make-or-break for Motta. If Juve start to wobble, and their Serie A slips then Mancini, Tudor and Xavi could swiftly fill Motta’s shoes.
Mancini was at the helm of the national team, but jumped ship after being lured to the megabucks role as Saudi Arabia manager. He lasted 14 months, leaving by mutual agreement after only bagging seven victories from 18 matches.
Tudor lasted less than three months at Lazio, who he helped to steer to seventh in Serie A and earn qualification for the Europa League. The Croatian resigned last June following disagreements with the club's hierarchy over transfer targets.
Xavi, who won the La Liga and the Spanish Supercup during his two-and-a-half year spell as Barcelona head coach, had already turned down interest from Manchester United and is on a sabbatical. He was sounded out by Juventus earlier this year.
Although managers like Atalanta’s Gian Piero Gasperini and Napoli’s Antonio Conte could be good fits for a long-term project at Juve, there is a sticking point. Serie A regulations do not permit any clubs to hire a head coach from a rival side during the season, which officially concludes on 30 June.
If Motta is given the boot, which would cost the club around €20m (US$20.8m) to dispense with his services and the backroom staff, then Juventus would need a new head coach in place to tackle the Club World Cup that begins on 14 June.
There are a dozen Serie A matches remaining for Juventus. Whether Motta will remain in charge for all of these remains to be seen, especially with so many #MottaOut posts appearing on social media.