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Juventus are almost certain to sack Thiago Motta by the end of this season, and they are already planning to replace him.
When Motta was made their manager at the start of this season, most people expected him to lead them back to the top of Italian football.
Juve has had some really good managers before now, and the ex-midfielder was expected to do better than Max Allegri.
Although this is his first season on their bench and he probably needs more time—because Juve has suffered from mediocrity under Allegri, whom he replaced—the Bianconeri do not want to deal with such issues again.
The men in black and white have supported Motta with many players, but they have been unhappy with the results the team is getting.
Juve knows their team can perform better than it is doing now, and they are pushing to ensure that happens, even if it means naming a new manager.
Many managers, including Antonio Conte, Roberto Mancini, and Roberto De Zerbi, have been linked with a move to their bench.
These three coaches could turn the situation around at the Allianz Stadium. Still, there is almost no certainty that a manager can arrive in Turin and turn things around almost immediately, unlike a visit to happyluke entrance where fun and excitement is guaranteed,
Juve was a mess before Motta arrived on the scene to become their manager, and they are still very much a mess now that he could leave.
If a new coach comes, finding stability and developing a winning mindset in the team are the first things they must do.
When Juve went for Motta, they had the option of making Conte their gaffer and never took that, but that is a mistake they cannot repeat anymore.
The men in black and white have to name an experienced manager now to replace Motta instead of experimenting with an exciting coach like De Zerbi.
The manager who will make things better at Juve is a coach who has won major trophies in Italy or one of the top leagues on the continent.
That is a track record we can bank on and be sure things will get better during a bad spell at the helm.
However, if the club appoints another inexperienced coach, it will only be a matter of time before he is fired again because Juve is too big for a coach to arrive and learn on the job.
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No Messi, no problem: MLS thumps Liga MX in All-Star Game
The Major League Soccer All-Stars defeated the Liga MX All-Stars, 3-1, in Austin on Wednesday to win the 29th annual MLS All-Star Game. It's the fourth time that the MLS All-Stars have faced the Liga MX All-Stars and the third time that they've been victorious. MLS' goals came from three usual suspects: Nashville's Sam Surridge, Philadelphia's Tai Baribo and Vancouver's Brian White. All three have led the Golden Boot standings at different points of the season, and all three deserved their moment in the spotlight. Another deserving player was Austin FC goalkeeper Brad Stuver, who started the match for MLS in front of a rapturous home crowd. Stuver, an American journeyman player who didn't get his MLS breakthrough until his early 30s, has made a real home for himself in Austin. He's been with the club since its first match in 2021 and is one of its most popular legends. Liga MX didn't win, but it did field the most exciting player of the night: 16-year-old Tijuana star Gilberto Mora. Eagle-eyed viewers of this summer's Concacaf Gold Cup will remember that Mora played for the Mexican national team (and looked great while doing so), but this game felt like his true debut on the international stage — and what a debut it wound up being. His strike in the second half made him the youngest goal scorer in MLS All-Star Game history. The game was meant to show off the best of MLS and Liga MX, but it wound up being overshadowed by two players who didn't bother to show: Jordi Alba and Lionel Messi. The Inter Miami players, named to the All-Star team in the first round of voting and long committed to attending the game, rescinded their participation hours before kickoff and skipped the spectacle altogether. MLS' rules here are simple and finite: Any healthy, un-injured player who skips the All-Star game must serve a one-game suspension during his next league fixture as a punishment. For Alba and Messi, that would mean missing Inter Miami's crucial Eastern Conference clash on Saturday with FC Cincinnati, its biggest rival in the title race. MLS has a choice to make here. Will it will stick to its guns and enforce its own rule, thereby forcing Alba, Messi and Miami to face consequences for blowing off one of the leagues most beloved traditions? Or will it fold to Miami's wishes, as it so often does, and allow its stars to play against Cincinnati with the unearned advantage of an extra week of rest? We'll find out soon enough. But we do know this: Regardless of what the league office decides, MLS has made a statement of its own. On a night when Miami wasn't interested in standing up for MLS, MLS proved it was more than capable of standing up for itself. MLS will return to action on Friday for its final matchday before the league's summer break.
Yankees Traded Flourishing Infielder for Struggling Closer
The New York Yankees have made their 2025 goals abundantly clear: They're trying to return to the World Series and win it all. In an effort to do so, the Pinstripes traded pitcher Nestor Cortes and infielder Caleb Durbin to the Milwaukee Brewers this season, adding closer Devin Williams to the roster. Halfway into the season, it looks like that was a big mistake. The Yankees are now looking to fill gaps in the both the bullpen and the infield before the MLB trade deadline rolls around at the end of the month. Utilityman Oswaldo Cabrera was great at third base, but suffered a potentially season-ending injury in May. The Yankees tried to compensate by shifting Jazz Chisholm Jr. to third, but it was clear Chisholm excels at second, and he's since been moved back. Durbin, on the other hand, has only gotten better in Milwaukee. "Over 75 games this season, Durbin is slashing .265/.350/.382 with five homers and elite contact skills at the plate," Alexander Wilson of Empire Sports Media wrote. "He ranks in the 95th percentile in whiff rate and 98th in strikeout rate — rare company for a young infielder. Durbin’s advanced plate discipline would’ve been invaluable in a Yankees lineup that too often leans on boom-or-bust approaches." Then there's Devin Williams, who has been part of a shaky-at-best Yankees bullpen. He has certainly seen improvement since the beginning of the season, when he was pulled from closing duties after a blown save to the Yankees' division rival Toronto Blue Jays. However, it hasn't been quite enough. Toronto swept New York in a four game series earlier this month, securing their lead of the AL east over the Pinstripes. Williams pitched the final inning, giving up two earned runs. He has a 4.82 ERA over 37.1 innings pitched in 41 games. Williams keeps improving, and hopefully will prove that the Yankees made the right choice by acquiring him. However, that still doesn't fill the gaping hole New York has at third base, and they're likely missing Durbin's consistent abilities in the field and at the plate. The Yankees have until the July 31 MLB trade deadline to make any trades to address these issues. Make sure to bookmark Yankees On SI to get all your daily New York Yankees news, interviews, breakdowns and more! Cam Schlittler is Not Yankees Paul Skenes Yankees Fighting Red Sox for Diamondbacks Pitchers Yankees’ Aaron Judge Ties Alex Rodriguez on All-Time List Braves Troll Yankees' Jazz Chisholm With Walk-Up Song Yankees in Trade Talks With Pirates
Charlotte Hornets Reportedly Release 24-Year-Old Guard
Damion Baugh spent his rookie season in the NBA playing for the Charlotte Hornets. The 24-year-old had averages of 7.3 points, 3.3 rebounds, 3.7 assists and 1.0 steals per contest while shooting 32.3% from the field in 15 games. According to Michael Scotto of HoopsHype, the Hornets will now waive Baugh. Via Scotto: "The Charlotte Hornets are waiving two-way player Damion Baugh, league sources told @hoopshype . Charlotte is waiving Baugh to clear a spot for the addition of Antonio Reeves on a two-way contract." ESPN's Shams Charania had first reported that the Hornets were signing Reeves. Via Charania: "The Charlotte Hornets are signing guard Antonio Reeves to a two-way NBA deal, sources tell ESPN. The 2024 Pelicans second-round pick averaged 6.9 points and 40% 3-point shooting in 44 games as a rookie last season."
Major 2024 NFL free-agency deals are aging very poorly
Several of the high-profile names of the 2024 free-agent class are really struggling to justify the massive contacts they received through the early stages of the 2025 season. Despite the generous contracts, some players have been very underwhelming after getting the big payday. In particular, these players who signed major deals are now playing on new teams or in new roles: Christian Wilkins — four-years, $110M with Raiders, now a free agent Kirk Cousins — four-years, $180M with Falcons, now a backup Bryce Huff — three-years, $51.1M with Eagles, now with 49ers Jonah Jackson — three-years, $51M with Rams, now with Bears Gabe Davis — three-years, $39M with Jaguars, now a free agent Gardner Minshew — two-years, $25M with Raiders, now with Chiefs Chidobe Awuzie — three-years, $36M with Titans, now with Ravens While certain free agents such as Saquon Barkley and Danielle Hunter have delivered massive returns on their contracts to the Eagles and Texans, respectively, these other big signings have taken a completely different trajectory. Whether it is due to injuries, underperformance or not fitting the schemes, these players have not lived up to their deals. Wilkins is a case in point. The Raiders decided to cut him after signing him to a four-year, $110M deal. He struggled with injuries that held him out in 2024, leading to the team and Wilkins disagreeing on how the injury has been handled. Because of this, the two split ways only one year into his contract. Huff only played in 12 games and had a total of 2.5 sacks for Philadelphia after inking a three-year, $51.1M deal. He was traded to the 49ers in June for a 2026 mid-round pick. Cousins might be the most egregious of these deals. The former Vikings QB signed a four-year, $180M, with $100M fully guaranteed. Yet, he only started 14 games in 2024, and now is the backup to Michael Penix Jr. The Falcons now are essentially stuck paying their backup quarterback an annual average of $45M. These signings highlight the risk of free agency. Paying top dollar for past performance runs the risk of overlooking team fit and future value of contracts. Too often, these high-profile veterans who get massive paydays decline very fast or simply fail to mesh with new systems. So far, these investments in 2024 appear to have aged very poorly. Unless these players turn their performances around in 2025, many of the teams will view these moves as a cautionary tale of overspending in free agency.
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