Motta refuted that he would not resign following the recent Fiorentina failure, and sporting director Cristiano Giuntoli has supported the manager that he carefully hand-picked last summer.
Yet the pair must shoulder their share of responsibility for Juventus’ scenario, with the main concern the club’s uncertainty about winning a place in next year’s Champions League.
Motta was handed big bucks by Giuntoli to build up his squad during two transfer windows, and he has duly shipped off unwanted players that were not part of his three-year Project Motta.
There are plenty of reasons for Juventus to stick with Project Motta, but these could be outweighed by grounds for the former Italy international to leave the club soon.
Without the financial clout of playing in the 2025/26 Champions League, Juve will not be able to be a powerhouse and their status could tumble.
Objective set may be out of reach
Former Bologna boss Motta is yet again edging close to a potential exit should he fail to deliver the minimum task of securing Champions League soccer next term. That objective, set by Giuntoli in the summer, only requires a top four Serie A finish.
Atalanta, Inter Milan and Napoli are fighting for the Scudetto, which leaves AC Milan, AS Roma, Bologna, Fiorentina, Juventus and Lazio battling it out for the all-important fourth place.
Away day defeat could spell the end
Motta has nine matches, four to be played in Turin, left to try and pick up the pieces by notching as many league points as possible.
A defeat to any rivals chasing Champions League soccer could result in the axe being wielded on the 42-year-old almost immediately after the game. He has to navigate tricky away games when Juve tackle AS Roma (6 April), Bologna (4 May) and Lazio (11 May).
Genoa are the next visitors to Turin. If Motta’s men taste a third Serie A defeat on the bounce, then he could well be a goner within 24 hours of the final whistle.
Maurizio Sarri lasted only one season at Juventus, given the boot despite clinching the 2019/20 Serie A title. Andrea Pirlo and Max Allegri both followed Sarri amid plenty of hype, but were sacked with each boss capturing just the Coppa Italia trophy for their endeavours.
No trophy to show his worth
Motta has no chance of capturing any silverware having made disappointingly early exits from the Champions League, Coppa Italia and Supercoppa Italiana.
Juventus must surely have learned their lesson from Allegri’s return in 2021, having stuck by him for too long in the hope that he would recapture the glory days achieved in his previous stint.
Motta is unlikely to be afforded the same sort of courtesy, as reality seems to be setting in despite Giuntoli’s faith in the Brazil-born coach. This year
Motta’s replacements have been sounded out with the likes of free agents Roberto Mancini and Xavi, although there is interest from the club in other managerial alternatives.
Wrong coach for Club World Cup trip
There’s a lengthy list of reasons why Juventus should change their head coach. The highly-lucrative 2025 FIFA Club World Cup finals, to be played in June and July, is an opportunity for the Bianconeri to make an impact, earn big bucks and put key players in the shopping window.
If Motta is allowed to still stutter along with defensive frailties and a misfiring attack, then sticking with their manager could be the wrong move.
The team will only be ridiculed by fans and the media if they fail at the Club World Cup in the United States, and will then require a change at the helm.
Motta lacks winning mentality
When results are not good enough for a club the stature of Juventus, the finger of blame is pointed at the head coach and they tend to lose their job.
Motta’s cup record is woeful in his maiden season. Supercoppa Italiana semi-final defeat to out-of-form AC Milan was followed by Champions League elimination to Dutch champions PSV Eindhoven. The worst exit was the Coppa Italia quarter-final loss to understrength Empoli.
Back-to-back Serie A defeats on top of 13 league draws explains why Juve are not in the Scudetto race. Motta earned endless draws as Bologna boss, but Juventus is a massive step up with a winning mentality throughout the club. Fans expect victory after victory.
Poor team selections and tactics
Although Motta has been hampered by injuries, he has had plenty of time to bring in replacements for defensive duo Gleison Bremer and Juan Cabal.
The fact is that the January signings of Premier League misfits Lloyd Kelly and Renato Veiga are way below the standard required to compete at the top of Serie A.
Both were so incredibly poor at Fiorentina that they were hauled off mid-match, and on the basis of their last display then neither should be considered to start another game in a Juventus jersey this term.
Motta splashed the cash on Dutch midfielder Teun Koopmeiners in his summer spree, but the acquisition from Atalanta has yet to impress. He seems drained of confidence by the head coach’s stubborn tactics.
Upfront there’s no sign of Dusan Vlahovic being given more minutes, as Motta keeps handing Paris Saint-Germain loanee Kolo Muani a starting berth. The French international has not scored in over a month, and has been totally ineffective, which has left Vlahovic warming the bench and Serie A’s highest earner sell-on price tag keeps plummeting.
Heads drop with fightback failure
With most top teams trying to bounce back following a poor result, Motta’s inability to get his side showing fire in their belly is a major issue.
After being dumped out of the Champions League, the following week an Empoli line-up littered with youth team players embarrassed Juventus in the Coppa Italia. An emergency meeting followed the next day, with Motta given the vote of confidence thanks to the support of Giuntoli.
There was no reaction from players as Juve crumbled against Fiorentina, just a week after being humbled 4-0 by Atalanta to suffer their worst home defeat since 1967, yet again Giuntoli publicly supported Motta.
Last roll of the dice
Genoa next is the chance for the usual Juventus spirit to be on show, but under Motta that appears to have evaporated, and Giuntoli’s faith in his manager could be challenged.
Revenue from the Champions League and the Club World Cup finals are essential for Juve’s long-term plans.
Should a Serie A top four finish suddenly seem fanciful then Motta will probably be given the boot — with or without the backing of Giuntoli.