Juventus sack Thiago Motta after just nine months, appoint Igor Tudor | OneFootball

Juventus have dismissed Thiago Motta after just nine months in charge and appointed Igor Tudor as his replacement until the end of the season.

Motta leaves with the club in fifth place in Serie A, one point outside the Champions League qualification spots.

His final two games resulted in heavy defeats – a 4-0 thrashing at home to Atalanta and a 3-0 loss at Fiorentina.

Juventus also endured disappointment in cup competitions. PSV Eindhoven eliminated them from the Champions League in the play-off round.

Motta’s side also suffered a shock Coppa Italia quarter-final exit to Empoli and lost the Supercoppa Italiana to AC Milan.

The club confirmed Motta’s departure in a statement, thanking him and his staff ‘for their professionalism and for the work they have carried out in recent months with passion and dedication’.

The Italian oversaw 18 wins, 16 draws and eight defeats in all competitions but was unable to build on last season’s Coppa Italia triumph.

Juventus have turned to Tudor, a former defender who played over 150 matches for the club between 1998 and 2007.

The Croatian has been given a short-term contract with an option to extend beyond the current season.

Tudor brings managerial experience from various clubs, including Hajduk Split, Galatasaray, Udinese, Verona and Marseille.

His most recent role was a three-month spell at Lazio, where he took over from Maurizio Sarri in March before departing at the end of the season.

This is not Tudor’s first coaching role at Juventus. He previously worked as an assistant under Andrea Pirlo during the 2020-21 campaign, gaining experience within the club’s set-up.

His immediate task will be to stabilise the team and guide them back into the top four. Tudor’s first game in charge will be a crucial home fixture against Genoa on Saturday.

With only a handful of matches remaining, Juventus will need a strong finish to avoid missing out on Europe’s premier competition for the second time in three seasons.