Juventus are reportedly on the lookout for a new manager, and it’s not exactly a well-kept secret, as Thiago Motta is already aware of it.
The Bianconeri had been enduring a largely disappointing campaign from the very start, but it has truly descended into chaos over the past few weeks. The club endured back-to-back eliminations from the Champions League and the Coppa Italia, while Sunday saw them hit a new low as they suffered their worst home defeat in 57 years as they got hammered 0-4 by Atalanta.
Therefore, the voices calling for Thiago Motta’s head have been growing louder and louder in recent weeks, and many believe Cristiano Giuntoli and company will oblige.
Although the directors have been spared from the chastising, a full-blown revolution at the club remains unlikely, so it is Motta and his technical staff who could suffer the axe at the end of the season.
(Photo by Valerio Pennicino/Getty Images)
So according to Italian journalist Sandro Sabatini, Giuntoli has already contacted potential Motta replacements, and the latter found out about it.
“Alberto Costa cost 15 million and you can’t explain it, or Kelly who cost 20 million. But it’s not their fault, the responsibility is the club’s, but the calibre of those who play these roles counts,” said Sabatini during his appearance on Pressing via JuventusNews24.
“This is a vague management. Giuntoli has been supporting Thiago Motta since the summer, except for the last few months.
“From what I understand, the director has entrusted friends and acquaintances with a few exploratory phone calls with other coaches and Thiago Motta knew about it. I don’t think the two of them talk every day.”
This is almost reminiscent of last season when Max Allegri was aware that the club is searching for a replacement at the end of the season, even though his contract was still valid for another year.
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New York Yankees manager Aaron Boone offered a concerning update on Tuesday about Aaron Judge's recovery from an elbow injury, and the slugger did not seem thrilled about that. Judge returned to the Yankees' lineup on Aug. 5 following a 10-day stint on the injured list. The two-time American League MVP had a flexor strain in his throwing elbow, and he has been slotted in as New York's designated hitter since he returned. In an interview with WFAN on Tuesday morning, Boone said he does not believe that Judge will get back to "throwing like he normally does" at any point for the remainder of the season. Judge was caught off guard by his manager's remarks. Before Tuesday night's game against the Tampa Bay Rays, Judge told reporters that he is unsure of why Boone provided the pessimistic update. "I don’t know why he said that. He hasn’t seen me throw the past two weeks," Judge said. "I’m pretty confident I’ll get back to that.” Boone later admitted that he may have misspoken during the WFAN interview. Many were surprised by the apparent disconnect between Judge and Boone. It is possible that what Boone said in the initial interview was accurate, and Judge did not want that information to be made public. The alternative is that Boone is not completely up to speed on his best player's recovery from an injury, which would be a bad look for the manager. Judge is batting .333 with 39 home runs and 91 RBI this season. His bat is far more important to the Yankees than his glove, but he has struggled at the plate a bit since returning. Judge is batting just .229 with a .429 slugging percentage in 11 games since he came off the injured list.
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