Thiago Motta, lunch with the management and reaffirmed trust. What's filtering through today
Thiago Motta needed a friendly voice — he got two. After yesterday evening's discussion in the Franchi locker room, where Cristiano Giuntoli addressed both the team and the coach directly, further reassurance arrived today. Superficial? Perhaps. But in the meantime, the lunch between the coach and management represented a moment of clarity. There was no overt tension, but a clear message was conveyed: Juventus must bounce back and avoid turning the current struggles into an irreparable disaster. Qualifying for the Champions League remains an essential goal, especially due to its financial implications.
The Lunch Meeting
The idea hasn't changed: Thiago Motta must find a solution to reverse the negative trend of recent weeks. After their Champions League exit, the team experienced a significant collapse, compromising not only their season but also the coach’s credibility in the eyes of both the management and the locker room. And this is the core issue: the players' responsibilities are evident, but equally clear is the coach's struggle to create harmony within the group. Motta has made bold decisions, but internal stability remains fragile.
Today's lunch was an opportunity to clarify things, but also for Motta to vent his frustrations, particularly regarding the media treatment he’s faced in recent days.
The Reaction
In a prior press conference, Di Gregorio had already anticipated the key points of the initial meeting between the squad and management: a change in direction is necessary, and the team must unite. However, today went further. The starting point was clear: the club will continue with Motta. But trust must be mutual. To manage the crisis, the coach needs to feel supported — both in the project and in his footballing ideas. Criticism and headlines must not shake him. He must be a leader — but not a lone man at the helm. He now has two weeks to work on the team's mentality and correct mistakes before the trip to Florence.
Trust on Borrowed Time
The reality remains the same: Thiago Motta is a coach on borrowed time — and not just because of his contract's expiry. The Juve-Genoa match will be crucial. From now on, every game could mark either a collapse or the start of a turnaround. For now, the management has no backup plan, which is why they haven’t yet pulled the trigger on a dismissal. But the result — and more importantly, the performance — on Saturday the 29th will determine whether this trust is genuine or just for show. Time is ticking, and Thiago Motta’s clock keeps counting down.
[ilbianconerocom]