Thiago Motta a ‘coach, father, brother, friend’ to Bologna players

Thiago Motta struggled to hold back tears as he described the feeling of walking away from Bologna. ‘These players know they can count on me at any moment as a father, an older brother, a friend.’

It has been a rough 24 hours for the Rossoblu, as the coach finally confirmed he is not going to extend his contract when it expires on June 30, so this was his final match in charge.

The team appeared to be unusually sluggish, perhaps also due to Wednesday’s festivities for Champions League qualification in the city centre, and swept aside 2-0 by Genoa at Marassi.

Ruslan Malinovskyi and Vitinha secured the goals by pouncing on errors playing out from the back, while Giovanni Fabbian had the best chance for Bologna with a header against the upright.

“This ends a wonderful era, we experienced those emotions and moments together, without forgetting anyone who was part of it from last season too. I want to publicly thank the fans for all they gave us, their support at home and away,” Thiago Motta told Sky Sport Italia.

“This team made history for this club, I thank the city for its welcome from the first day to the last. My staff and I gave our all to bring Bologna as high as possible. However, these players are the real protagonists of the sport.”

Thiago Motta emotional farewell to Bologna

Now that he confirmed that he is walking away, what does the coach leave behind at Bologna?

“I leave my love, my passion, ambition, but above all great respect for these players I had the privilege to work with. I love each of them, I have respect for each of them. This is what I leave at Bologna, wishing all the best for them and all they can achieve in future.

“It’s not just about the results, but how hard they worked, and I can only thank them.”

It will be difficult for anyone to follow in Thiago Motta’s footsteps, but what did he most learn from this experience that he can take going forward?

“From today I am no longer the coach of this team, but these lads know that at any moment, they can count on me as a father, an older brother, a friend. I had the same approach at Paris Saint-Germain’s Under-19 team, at Spezia and Bologna.

“We always treated each other with respect, but with reciprocal respect. I gave my all for these lads, they did the same for me, that is why we achieved these results, but the way we achieved them was more important.”

Thiago Motta visibly struggled to hold back tears at the end of the interview.

“I always treat my players the way I wish someone would treat my children if they were in a team. I only have daughters, so they are like my sons. I think I helped them, but they also helped me.”

He has refused to comment on his future, but it is widely reported that Thiago Motta will take over at Juventus next season.