The Coaching Mistakes That Juventus Keep Repeating

The Coaching Mistakes That Juventus Keep Repeating

Chandler Milligan

The counter resets to ‘zero days since last sacking’, and Juventus start anew with their fifth manager in as many years.

It’s been a steady decline since the turn of the decade for Italy’s most successful club, and the last of their nine consecutive Serie A titles is a fading memory for the Juventus loyalists.

After another stale campaign where the football hasn’t flowed and ‘lacklustre’ is the fairest description, the Bianconeri have dropped to fifth in the Serie A table and were knocked out of the Champions League play-offs by PSV after finishing 20th in the original table.

A club that reached two Champions League Finals in three seasons before bringing in Cristiano Ronaldo to drive their UCL project forward has failed to make a single dent since 2017.

When Thiago Motta arrived in Turin in June 2024, he was one of the most sought-after coaches in Europe.

The former FC Barcelona & PSG midfielder had built a strong portfolio in Italy, coaching Genoa and Spezia before producing his finest work with Bologna.

Motta managed to steer the Rossoblù to a UEFA Champions League position for the first time in almost sixty years, finishing fifth and making headlines for his progressive and proactive football.

So, why didn’t things work out for Thiago Motta at Juventus?

Like most clubs veering out of the most successful period in their history, Juventus are still struggling to fill the gap left by Massimiliano Allegri, who departed the club in 2019 after five seasons, five Serie A titles, four Coppa Italia titles, two Supercoppa Italiana titles, and two Champions League runner-up medals.

Their first appointment was Maurizio Sarri, who joined after winning the 2019 UEFA Europa League Final with Chelsea.

He only lasted one season.

Sarri’s Juventus were defeated in the 2019 Supercoppa Italiana Final and the 2020 Coppa Italia final.

Despite a Cristiano Ronaldo brace, they were unexpectedly eliminated by Olympique Lyon in the UCL Round of 16.

Sarri went on to secure the Old Lady’s ninth and final Serie A title before ultimately getting sacked at the end of the season.

Andrea Pirlo was the next solution as the club looked to reconnect with their fans by bringing in a club legend as coach.

Much like Frank Lampard at Chelsea, being a good footballer doesn’t translate to being a good manager.

With no experience, the Italian icon originally joined the Juventus U23s in Serie C and nine days later was ushered into the spotlight with the first team.

Pirlo won his first trophy with Juventus in the 2020 Supercoppa Italiana after defeating Napoli but was eliminated from the UCL in the Round of 16 as a 10-man FC Porto edged them on away goals.

Juventus’ run of nine consecutive league titles was ended by Inter Milan in Pirlo’s first season, and despite winning a second piece of silverware in the shape of a Copa Italia, the untried head coach was relieved from his role after finishing fourth.

For Juventus, that meant going back to square one. Literally.

After two disappointing seasons, Massimiliano Allegri was brought back to Juventus.

If the two previous managers lacked the experience to elevate a club like Juventus, Allegri was the exception.

He had been there, done that, and left Juventus as a legend on his own chosen terms.

His return wasn’t pretty, and perhaps a great example of why you shouldn’t re-open a chapter you’ve already closed.

In his first year back at the wheel, Juventus suffered a humiliating 3-0 defeat at home to exit the UCL in the Round of 16 for the third successive season. All three times by teams they were expected to defeat without trouble.

The club went trophyless for the first time since the 2010/11 season, and his second saw them win only three points in their worst ever UCL campaign. Another year without silverware.

The second spell ended controversially, and Allegri was sacked by the club in 2024 despite winning the 2024 Coppa Italia Final (his only title in his three-year return).

Behaviour issues were cited, but ultimately, the football lacked any form of excitement, and the club didn’t appear to have made any improvements during his tenure.

This is where Juventus repeat their mistakes, again.

Another inexperienced coach was hired for the job and given a monumental task that would trouble even the most equipped and proficient managers.

The outcome will surprise few.

Without even a full season under his belt in Turin, Thiago Motta will feel hard done by in his unceremonious sacking from the club.

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But, patience is clearly deteriorating as the club looks to return to their former strength.

Fifth place, eliminated from the UCL in the first play-off clash, and knocked out of every other cup – this season is already a write-off for the Bianconeri.

Now, another young coach with a decent but unremarkable portfolio takes the pressure on his shoulders.

Igor Tudor, a fresh manager without the experience one would expect of a Juventus head coach, now must break the pattern or meet the same fate as his predecessors.

While all of these coaching appointments have no doubt missed the mark, it’s also quite clear that these coaches are being pinned as the scapegoats in a failure that extends far behind the tactics board.

Some believe the club’s decline began with Cristiano Ronaldo.

Others may point to financial issues and the controversial management of the club’s board, who were sacked in November 2022 amid the Pulsvalenze investigation (chairman Andrea Agnelli resigned) as a key factor.

A lack of smart recruitment, young talent, and a failure to bolster the club’s squad and replace ageing players is yet another.

The bottom line is that changing coaches every year isn’t going to revive the once-great club miraculously.

Maybe Motta wasn’t the right fit, but another fresh and inexperienced face can’t cure the cold that has spread far and wide throughout Allianz Stadium.