Juventus sporting director Cristiano Giuntoli and previous head coach Thiago Motta. Source: Getty Images
In a now-viral post shared by La Gazzetta dello Sport, Juventus sporting director Cristiano Giuntoli reportedly told head coach Thiago Motta in a blunt, face-to-face exchange: "I am ashamed at having chosen you."
This statement, if accurate, wasn’t just a private reprimand, it was a public disavowal. Hours after the alleged confrontation, Juventus confirmed the sacking of the 42-year-old manager, marking yet another abrupt chapter in the club’s increasingly turbulent managerial saga.
Prior to Motta's dismissal, Giuntoli publicly supported him, emphasizing the need for unity and resilience during challenging times. After consecutive heavy defeats, including a 3-0 loss to Fiorentina and a 4-0 loss to Atalanta, Giuntoli stated: "We have to stay united during difficult times. We have a project, and we knew there would be difficulties. We must maintain balance and focus on our goal, which is to qualify for the Champions League." (Football Italia)
But this wasn’t just about results on the pitch. Motta’s dismissal and the language surrounding it reveal deeper fault lines; a leadership culture under strain, a fractured alignment between sporting direction and tactical vision, and an identity crisis within one of Europe’s most historic football institutions.
The Old Lady
Juventus Logo est. January 2017. Source: Wallpapers.com
Juventus Football Club, affectionately known as 'La Vecchia Signora' (The Old Lady), is not just a football team, it is the embodiment of Italian football history. Founded in 1897 by a group of students in Turin, Juventus has grown into Italy’s most successful and influential club, both on and off the pitch.
As of 2025, Juventus have won:
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36 Serie A titles – the most in Italian football history
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14 Coppa Italia trophies
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2 UEFA Champions League titles (1985 and 1996)
Juventus’ identity has been shaped by a tradition of defensive strength, tactical rigidity, and institutional dominance. From the ironclad formations of the 1930s to the dynasties under Giovanni Trapattoni and Marcello Lippi, the club has consistently evolved while staying true to its winning DNA. (Wikipedia)
Yet Juventus' story isn’t without shadows. In 2006, the club was at the heart of the 'Calciopoli' match-fixing scandal—one of the darkest episodes in Italian sports. Juventus was stripped of two league titles and relegated to Serie B for the first time in its history. Key players like Zlatan Ibrahimović and Fabio Cannavaro departed, but others like, Del Piero, Buffon, and Trezeguet stayed, helping the club bounce back the following season with dignity. (BBC Sport)
The comeback from that low point became a defining chapter in Juventus’ history. By 2012, they were not only back on top but launching an era of dominance that would redefine the modern era of Serie A.
Juventus' Performance Timeline
2010–2020: The Allegri Dynasty
Former Juventus manager Massimiliano Allegri. Source: The Athletic/NY Times/Paolo Bandini
The 2010s were Juventus’ golden decade, a period of unprecedented domestic dominance built on tactical pragmatism and squad depth. Under Antonio Conte and later Massimiliano Allegri, Juventus secured nine consecutive Serie A titles from 2011 to 2020, a feat unmatched in Italian football. Allegri’s system prioritized defensive solidity, transitional play, and vertical penetration. With midfield generals like Pirlo, Marchisio, and Pjanić supporting clinical forwards like Dybala and Higuaín, Juve didn’t just win, they suffocated their opponents. Their continental ambitions also peaked with two UEFA Champions League finals (2015 vs. Barcelona and 2017 vs. Real Madrid)—both losses, but indicators of European credibility (transfermarket).
2020–2024: Post-Ronaldo Disarray
Cristiano Ronaldo, Juventus (2018-2021). Source: Wallpapers.com
The departure of Cristiano Ronaldo in 2021 signaled the unraveling of Juventus’ sporting structure. While his arrival in 2018 brought a short-term commercial and scoring boost (101 goals in 134 appearances), his exit exposed long-ignored flaws—an aging squad, declining midfield output, and tactical incoherence. The club cycled through managers: Pirlo’s inexperience, Allegri’s stale return, and eventually Motta’s ill-fated tenure, none of whom could engineer consistency. Off the pitch, things worsened. The 2023 financial scandal and alleged capital gains manipulations resulted in a 15-point deduction, severely affecting their Serie A campaign (BBC Sport). On the field, the 2023-24 season was plagued by disjointed transitions, slow midfield build-up, and no identifiable attacking philosophy—turning the Old Lady into a side easy to read and harder to revive.
Stat Snapshot (Last 5 Years)
Juventus' final rankings based on the last 20 years. Source: TransferMarket
Juventus’ statistical profile has mirrored their strategic decline. In 2017-18, under Allegri, the team had a 71% win rate, averaging 2.3 goals per game, and ranked top three in expected goals in Serie A. Fast forward to 2023-24, and that win rate has dropped to 54%, with goals per game plunging to 1.4, one of the lowest among Italy’s traditional top six. Their Champions League place, once a guarantee; has vanished with only one qualification in the last three seasons, reducing their international competitiveness and revenue streams. (transfermarket)
The Thiago Motta Episode
When Juventus appointed Thiago Motta as head coach, it was viewed as a bold pivot toward a more modern, dynamic footballing philosophy. Motta had earned plaudits for his work at Bologna, where his high-pressing, vertical possession-based system not only stabilized the club but also earned them a top-half finish and a reputation for smart, aggressive football. For Juventus, a club in urgent need of tactical refreshment and generational renewal, his appointment was seen as an attempt to break away from Allegri-era conservatism and embrace progressive European trends.
However, optimism quickly gave way to dysfunction. According to reports from La Gazzetta dello Sport, Motta struggled to command the dressing room, with several senior players reportedly questioning his tactical clarity and man-management. Juventus’ performances on the pitch reflected this unease—averaging just 1.1 goals per match, often looking disjointed in buildup and exposed during transitions. The club crashed out of the Coppa Italia in the early rounds, and a string of poor results left them outside the Serie A top four, threatening their qualification for the Champions League once again.
Thiago Motta, Juventus (2024-25). Source: Whallpapers.com
Though not officially confirmed by the club, this reported quote from Giuntoli, “I am ashamed at having chosen you.”—captured the toxic tone surrounding Motta’s dismissal. It also hinted at a deeper organizational flaw: a misalignment between the club's executive vision and the manager's footballing identity. As Giuntoli reportedly later expressed to insiders: “I regret putting my trust in a vision that didn’t align with this club's DNA.” (La Gazzetta dello Sport)
Ultimately, Motta’s sacking wasn’t just about failing to win matches, it was about failing to integrate into Juventus’ historically rigid structure, where short-term results and cultural fit often override long-term vision. His tenure now stands as a cautionary tale of mismatched expectations between a progressive manager and a traditionally risk-averse institution. (CBS Sports)
When Vision Fails In Modern Football
What happened between Juventus and Thiago Motta isn’t an isolated managerial mishap, it’s part of a much broader leadership issue that continues to plague top clubs across Europe. In elite football, success isn’t just about tactics and talent; it’s about alignment between ownership, sporting directors, and the head coach. When that alignment breaks down, even the most promising projects collapse under their own weight.
Clubs like Liverpool under Jürgen Klopp thrived because their recruitment, coaching style, and institutional strategy were synchronized. Similarly, Manchester City’s structure under Pep Guardiola is a model of how long-term planning and trust in leadership philosophy can provide dominance.
Jürgen Klopp head to head with Pep Guardiola. Source: Skysports
Juventus, unfortunately, has become a case study in the opposite direction.
With Motta, there was an attempt to modernize, but without the structural patience or roster recalibration to support his style. The disconnect between Giuntoli’s vision and Motta’s tactical identity turned what could have been a progressive rebuild into a short-lived experiment. Instead of evolving, the club pulled the plug, and worse, did so publicly—damaging its reputation in the managerial market. For a club with such heritage, the words "I am ashamed at having chosen you" say more about internal dysfunction than any one coach’s shortcomings.
This isn't the first time we’ve seen something similar.
In 2021, José Mourinho was sacked by Tottenham just days before a cup final, his pragmatic methods reportedly clashing with the dressing room and the boardroom alike. At Paris Saint-Germain, Thomas Tuchel was dismissed in 2020 despite topping his Champions League group and winning domestic titles—his downfall traced not to results, but to philosophical disagreements with sporting director Leonardo (TNT Sports). And even at Juventus, we’ve been here before. Andrea Pirlo, an inexperienced yet promising manager, was let go in 2021 after just one season, despite winning the Supercoppa and Coppa Italia. Why? Because there was no clear rebuild strategy, only short-term expectations without a supporting framework.
What links these examples together is not just the sacking of managers, but the failure of leadership to communicate, align, and invest in a coherent footballing identity. These are not tactical dismissals, they're organizational failures.
Where Do Juventus Go From Here?
If Juventus are to reclaim their place among Europe’s elite, they need more than just a tactician; they need a unifying figure, a manager capable of balancing short-term competitiveness with long-term restructuring. Just as Barcelona have done under Hansi Flick, Juventus’ next managerial appointment must strike the right balance between tactical clarity, player development, and emotional intelligence. Not only to stabilize a fractured squad, but to reinvigorate the club’s identity and restore long-term credibility on both domestic and European fronts.
My first recommendation would be Roberto De Zerbi, one of Europe’s most highly regarded tacticians, renowned for his transformative work at Brighton & Hove Albion. Under his leadership, Brighton secured their first-ever qualification for the UEFA Europa League, doing so with a bold, possession-heavy style of play that drew frequent comparisons to Pep Guardiola’s positional football. A product of Italian football himself, De Zerbi embodies a modern, attack-minded philosophy—one that would represent a dramatic cultural shift for Juventus. But perhaps that’s exactly what the club needs. The major obstacle is his reported €10 million release clause, and convincing him to leave the Premier League won’t be simple. Still, if Juventus are serious about modernizing their tactical identity, De Zerbi would be a powerful statement of intent. (Football Joe)
Roberto De Zerbi, Head Coach, Brighton & Hov Albion. Source: Mike Hewitt/Getty Images
Head coach Raffaelel Palladino manager of ACF Fiorentina. Source: Gabriele Maltinti/Getty Images
My second pick represents the most natural domestic option. Raffaele Palladino, a young, intelligent coach who’s quietly reshaped Monza and currently transforming Florantina into one of Serie A’s most balanced teams. Palladino blends pragmatism with tactical flexibility, and his understanding of Italian football culture makes him a low-risk, high-upside candidate for a club like Juventus in need of cultural grounding. Having played briefly for Juve in the late 2000s, Palladino also carries a level of institutional familiarity. If Juventus prioritize stability and dressing room coherence over revolution. (transfermarket)
Marcelo Gallardo, meanwhile, brings with him a résumé few can match outside Europe. A serial winner with River Plate, where he lifted 14 major trophies including two Copa Libertadores titles, Gallardo is now a free agent following a short stint at Al-Ittihad. His tactical flexibility, motivational presence, and experience managing large personalities make him a compelling wildcard for Juventus—particularly if they want a coach who knows how to navigate pressure, rebuild squads, and compete immediately. For Gallardo, Juventus could be the perfect European entry point, while for Juve, he could be the fiery leader to reignite their competitive edge. (Planet Football)
Marcelo Gallardo saying goodbye to the River Plate fans. Source: ESPN
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