Saputo ‘let down’ by Thiago Motta and Juventus abandoning Bologna | OneFootball

Bologna President Joey Saputo ‘was let down’ by the way Thiago Motta dumped them for Juventus last summer, so feels ‘pity’ after the coach was then sacked for trailing his old club.

The Rossoblu surprised many by securing fifth place in Serie A last season, which was valid for their first ever full Champions League participation, but Thiago Motta walked away after months of hesitating over a new contract proposal, knowing he had a role lined up at Juve.

That only lasted eight months, as the Brazilian-Italian was fired last week to make way for Igor Tudor.

“We didn’t change coach, I want to make that clear, he was the one who decided to leave,” President Saputo told Omni Television.

“He left and we were fortunate to find a coach who wanted to continue working with us for the team we have now.”

Vincenzo Italiano has not only replicated last season’s results, but improved upon them, as Bologna are currently in fourth place ahead of Juve.

“I was sad at the way Motta left. I did not appreciate the way he behaved, nor that of the club that signed him, because I am a very open person. I was let down by what was done by Juve and Thiago. This is life and we will continue, but the important thing is that we found a coach who reflects the values we wanted.”

Was Saputo surprised to see Thiago Motta sacked by Juventus so soon after he was poached from Bologna?

“I am not at Juve, so I don’t know what happened in their locker room. I do feel pity for him, because I know that he works hard and cares so much, but when you take responsibility for a side like Juve who spent a lot of money, it’s to win the Scudetto and not to fight for fourth place.

“I feel bad for him, even if he left us the way he did…”

Saputo’s Bologna go from strength to strength

BOLOGNA, ITALY – JANUARY 18: Joey Saputo President of Bologna looks on during the Serie A match between Bologna and Monza at Stadio Renato Dall’Ara on January 18, 2025 in Bologna, Italy. (Photo by Alessandro Sabattini/Getty Images)

Meanwhile, Bologna are continuing to grow and flourish under Italiano, even after selling Riccardo Calafiori and Joshua Zirkzee over the summer.

“Bologna is a city with 350,000 inhabitants, we know who we are in Italian football. The expectations are not to win the Scudetto, but to do our best to get into Europe.”

While he is Canadian and also worked in football with MLS club the Montreal Impact, Saputo has Italian heritage and knows the importance of adapting to the Italian way of doing things in Serie A.

“It is very important if you arrive in a foreign country to know where you are. I think some foreign owners who arrive in Italy do everything without understanding what is around them. I never criticised Italian football, referees or the way things are done, but there are many foreigners who want to change everything without wanting to understand Italian football culture,” concluded Saputo.

“When I arrived, I said give me 10 years and I’ll take you into Europe. That is precisely what happened. It took time.”