Juventus sack head coach Thiago Motta as Igor Tudor appointed

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Evening Standard

·23 March 2025

Juventus sack head coach Thiago Motta as Igor Tudor appointed

Juve are out of the Champions League and Serie A title race

Juventus have confirmed the sacking of head coach Thiago Motta.

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Motta was only appointed last summer, having impressed at Bologna, but has lasted just nine months into a three-year contract.

A 3-0 loss at Fiorentina, which followed a 4-0 home defeat by Atalanta, proved to be the final straw for the Juve hierarchy.

Former player Igor Tudor has been appointed as Motta’s replacement, with Juventus sitting fifth in the Serie A standings and 12 points behind leaders Inter Milan.

"Juventus FC announces that it has relieved Thiago Motta of his position as coach of the men's first team," a club statement said.

"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."

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Tudor, 46, returns to Juventus having spent most of his playing career at the club and, more recently, served as Andrea Pirlo's assistant during the 2020-21 season. He has previously managed Udinese, Hellas Verona and Lazio. His first match will be at home to Genoa.

Motta's Juventus finished 20th in the Champions League standings and were knocked out of the competition at the playoff stage by PSV Eindhoven last month.

Less than a week later, Juventus went out of the Coppa Italia, knocked out by Empoli after a penalty shootout in the quarter-finals.

Juve went 21 league games without defeat earlier in the season but that period saw Motta's team draw 13 matches which meant they were never going to feature in the title race.

While there was an upturn after the first loss to Napoli in January, with Juventus winning five in a row, the manager has paid the price for the recent heavy defeats which have angered supporters.

Additional reporting by Reuters.