Thiago Motta was given a fairly free rein during his short stint with the Turin titans, fully supported by Juve sporting director Cristiano Giuntoli until he was sacked. But which club will he end up managing next?
Having steered Bologna to continental competition with a fifth-placed Serie A finish, Giuntoli lured Motta to Juventus with a verbal agreement in place while Max Allegri was at the helm.
The same sort of shenanigans occurred after Juve looked a shambles with hefty back-to-back defeats, with the club’s former defender and ex-assistant manager Igor Tudor swiftly installed on 23 March.
Tudor has overseen two uninspiring matches in his first outings, with a 1-0 home success over Genoa on his debut as interim head coach followed by a creditable 1-1 stalemate at high-flying rivals AS Roma.
Juve's winning mentality
The high expectations placed upon Motta came crashing down when cracks showed after their opening half-a-dozen matches.
Motta’s approach to matches was not the same winning mentality that is part of the Juventus DNA, with the Sao Paulo-born coach preferring not to lose matches like his previous job in charge of Bologna.
His inability to score maximum points in the Italian top tier ultimately led to his sacking, although there were a plethora of other reasons.
The 42-year-old, whose best winning percentage was a mere 46% with Bologna, is expected to be back in club management soon.
He has been linked with numerous clubs, although a move to AC Milan, Atalanta, Olympique de Marseille and Tottenham Hotspur appear his best bet to return to the dugout.
Former shotstopper Gianluigi Buffon, who played 685 games for Juventus during two spells, was a TV pundit for the AS Roma clash and enthused on DAZN: “Considering his background as a player first and as a coach later, Thiago Motta would do well. I still think he will have a great career [as a manager].
“I hope that this setback [at Juventus] will be a learning curve and help him to become a better coach. I still have a lot of faith in his future.”
AC Milan
AC Milan are managed by Sergio Conceicao, who replaced Paulo Fonseca at the end of last year. Their form this term has left their supporters disgruntled, with the club unlikely to finish high enough in Serie A to secure European soccer next term.
There have been some big names rumoured to be given the job this summer, including Allegri, although Motta could be a great fit.
Atalanta
Long-term Atalanta head coach Gian Piero Gasperini is contracted until the end of next year, but the 67-year-old is being monitored by rival clubs.
He is on the radar of AC Milan, AS Roma, Napoli and even Juventus who could lure him from Bergamo to tackle the 2025/26 season.
Olympique de Marseille
Motta spent his final six years of his playing career and initial stages of his coaching journey in France with cash-rich Paris Saint-Germain. Although the runaway Ligue 1 leaders would not consider him, OM could.
Former Sassuolo boss Roberto De Zerbi seems unhappy during his maiden season at Marseille, with his potential availability alerting both AS Roma and Juventus. Motta has fantastic knowledge of the French top flight.
Tottenham Hotspur
No-nonsense Aussie Ange Postecoglou is under increasing pressure with both the club hierarchy and numerous supporters angry with Tottenham’s underwhelming season.
If Postecoglou is given the push at the end of the campaign, as expected, then Motta could be given a shot with the Londoners. This appears to be the only Premier League job that his name has been associated with.