On Wednesday, Italian giant Juventus announced the hiring of Thiago Motta as their new manager, replacing Massimiliano Allegri.
“Juventus is delighted to announce Thiago Motta as the new First Team head coach.
The Italian-Brazilian has signed an agreement with the club until June 30, 2027,” Juventus said in a statement.
Allegri was fired for his antics at the end of his team’s Coppa Italia final win over Atalanta, while Bologna confirmed before the end of the Serie A season that Motta would not extend his contract at the club.
“I am really happy to begin a new chapter at the helm of a great club like Juventus,” Motta said as part of Juventus’ announcement.
“I thank the owners and the management, who can be sure of my ambition to keep the Juventus flag flying high and to please the fans.”
At 41 years old, Motta successfully led Bologna to secure Champions League qualification in his second season with the northern Italian club, marking their first appearance in the prestigious tournament since 1964.
Before his tenure at Bologna, Motta steered Spezia to Serie A survival in the 2021–2022 season, although his initial managerial stint at Genoa lasted only two months in 2020.
The Brazil-born former Italy international had a distinguished playing career, notably with Barcelona, Paris Saint-Germain, and Inter Milan, where he achieved a historic treble under José Mourinho’s guidance in 2009–2010.
Recently, Motta’s Bologna faced Juventus in their second-to-last Serie A fixture, relinquishing a three-goal lead in the final 15 minutes as Paolo Montero temporarily took charge following Allegri’s departure.
Allegri’s contract was officially terminated earlier in June by mutual agreement.