After a disappointing run of results and a slip to fifth place in Serie A, Juventus bring in former player Igor Tudor to steady the ship.
March 23: Juventus have officially parted ways with manager Thiago Motta following a string of poor performances, including heavy defeats to Atalanta (0-4) and Fiorentina (0-3). The club announced on Sunday that former player Igor Tudor will take over as the new head coach, starting with training on Monday.
Motta, who joined Juventus in June on a three-year deal after leading Bologna to a historic Champions League qualification, failed to bring the desired turnaround in Turin. Juventus currently sit fifth in the Serie A table, now 12 points behind league leaders Inter Milan and overtaken by Motta’s former club, Bologna.
“Juventus FC announces that it has relieved Thiago Motta of his position as coach of the men’s first team,” read an official club statement. “Juventus FC also announces that it has entrusted the leadership of the Men’s First Team to Igor Tudor.”
Igor Tudor, now 46, is no stranger to the Juventus faithful. He played for the club from 1998 to 2007 and was also assistant coach under Andrea Pirlo during the 2020 season. The Croatian has previously managed Udinese, Hellas Verona, and Lazio in Italy.
Motta’s stint ended amid fan frustration and a run of disappointing results across all competitions. Juventus crashed out of the Champions League playoff stage against PSV Eindhoven, followed shortly by a Coppa Italia exit at the hands of Empoli via penalties.
Despite an early-season unbeaten run of 21 league matches, the campaign was marred by 13 draws—enough to keep Juventus out of the title race. While there was brief momentum after a loss to Napoli in January, a five-match winning streak wasn’t enough to save Motta’s job.
The manager’s strict stance also caused tension within the squad, with Federico Chiesa reportedly told he was not in Motta’s plans and later sold to Liverpool.
Juventus will look to bounce back when they host Genoa next Saturday under their new head coach.