Serie A giants Juventus sacked Thiago Motta two weeks ago and the ex-manager has now hit back on his treatment, criticism and what went wrong and right at the Bianconeri.
Motta spoke to Corriere della Sera about the personal criticism he faced that was beyond tactics and he had strong words about that.
He said, via CM: โIn this period I have had to listen not to technical criticisms, which are always to be taken into account, but to personal attacks. I find this way of acting in the shadows arrogant and indecent because the relationship with my players and with the team was excellent and these guys have always given their all, they have always done their best.
โSometimes we won, other times we didnโt. Judging me as a coach, criticizing my choices on the pitch, on the players, on tactics, everything that has to do with football, I accept and will always accept. And indeed, these are analyses that help you grow. However, I do not accept personal attacks based on slander.โ
When asked about the rumours that he had lost the dressing room, he called all of that speculation as lies.
The ex-Italy international said: โThese are the things that bother meย , because they can criticize me as a coach for my choices and obviously I accept that. Butย those who say that I had the dressing room against me are liars. These are unacceptable things, itโs not true. No one Iโve worked with in my career has ever said publicly that they had problems with me.
โAt Juve I had an excellent relationship with all my playersย from a professional and human point of view. A relationship based on respect, on clarity.ย Then itโs normal that those who play less can be less happy. I was also a footballer, and when I didnโt play I certainly wasnโt happy. But I always respected the coachโs decisions, and that was the case with the Juve players. I think Iโve shown that those who donโt play today can do so later, in relation to their form, how they train.โ
Motta also stated that he did a lot of things right at the Old Lady, even if some things needed fixing as the season was going on.
โWe did a lot of things well, I would change a lot of others, for sure.ย I have always analyzed what was done wrong, but even after a victory I think you can change something, a game strategy, a substitution, a choice, a starter. Itโs not that when you win everything is perfect. I would do a lot of things again, I would change a lot of things.
โIn the last two games we played badly and so I would certainly change my choices. No one who is not arrogant denies their mistakes. But I do not accept that all the work done is thrown away. A completely new team, decimated by injuries, was about to reach the set objective. But I have accepted the clubโs choice and I hope for the best for Juve.โ
He also stated that Juve were only one point behind the top four when he was sacked and initially, he was promised that he was being handed a three-year-long project.
ย โI am certainly disappointed because it did not go as we had hoped, especially in the Coppa Italia and the Champions League. However, I do not agree when I hear people talking about failure: our work was interrupted when we were one point away from fourth place in the standings, which was, at the start of the season, the priority objective.
โWhen I accepted this role, with great enthusiasm, I knew it would be a three-year project, based on a profound revolution of the team, on its radical rejuvenation. I know very well that, in teams of Juveโs level, you have to win. Even more so after years in which this has not happened. The project certainly did not go as we wanted or as we had imagined.โ
Motta has already been linked with a move to Atalanta, if Gian Piero Gasperini departs. So even if he didnโt have a delightful stint in Turin, there is still a path back for him.
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Kaustubh Pandey I GIFN
