Thiago Motta (Brazilian Portuguese:[tʃiˈaɡuˈmɔtɐ];Italian:[ˈtjaːɡoˈmɔtta]; born 28 August 1982) is an Italian professionalfootball manager and former player who was most recently the head coach ofSerie A clubJuventus.
Born and raised in Brazil and of Italian descent, Motta holdsItalian citizenship.[3] After making two appearances forBrazil in 2003, he subsequently representedItaly 30 times from 2011, scoring once. He appeared as Italy were finalists atUEFA Euro 2012, and also played at the2014 FIFA World Cup andEuro 2016.
Following his retirement, he coached PSG'sunder-19 side. In October 2019, he returned to Genoa as their manager, before he was fired in December following a poor run of results. In July 2021, Motta was appointed manager ofSpezia, where he remained for one season, before taking over as manager ofBologna in September 2022, leading them to qualify for the Champions League in his second season. In June 2024, Motta was appointed head coach ofJuventus. In March 2025, after being eliminated from the Champions League and general poor results, he was sacked.
Motta (back row, third from right) lining up for Barcelona during the2005–06 season
Motta signed withBarcelona in 1999 at age 17 from São Paulo sideJuventus-SP, initially being assigned to the club'sB-side. He eventually graduated to the first team in 2001, making his debut on 3 October againstMallorca in a 3–0 home win.[4]
In the2001–02 edition of theUEFA Champions League, Motta made seven appearances and helped his team to the semi-finals. In2002–03'sLa Liga he appeared in a career-best 21 games (with three goals) asBarça could only finish in sixth position, and also played an important part inthe following season's longUEFA Cup run, which was eventually ended byCeltic. In the first leg, a 0–1 loss in Glasgow (0–1 on aggregate), he wassent off during half-time after hitting out at opposing goalkeeperRobert Douglas who was also shown the red card, in an incident that happened in the tunnel.[5]
Motta was also dogged by several injuries, particularly one suffered on 11 September 2004 againstSevilla, which sidelined him for seven months,[6] during his time at Barcelona. He eventually needed surgery to rebuild the anterior cruciate and lateralligaments in his leftknee, but was able to make a swift recovery and made an emotional comeback, taking to the field to rapturous applause as theeventual league champions defeatedGetafe 2–0 on 17 April.[7]
In late August 2007, Motta signed a one-year contract withAtlético Madrid for an undisclosed fee.[8] Once again he began the season on the sidelines, injured; in theCopa del Rey quarter-final match againstValencia, he was ejected after only 25 minutes, and theColchoneros lost the away fixture 0–1 and subsequentlythe tie.[9]
Due to injury to regular starterRaúl García and the departure ofManiche in January 2008, Motta's opportunities increased. In March, however, the recurrent knee problems reappeared and his season was over, followed by a successful surgery and rehabilitation in the United States;[10][11] he trialled withPremier League sidePortsmouth after his release, but did not sign for them.[12]
On 11 April 2009, Motta scored two goals (one of them in the first half's injury time) in a final 3–2 home victory overJuventus.[15] He finished the year with a career-best six goals, and his teamqualified for the Europa League.[14]
Motta's debut came in2009–10's opener, a 1–1 home draw againstBari,[23] and his first goal came the next round as he opened the score in theDerby della Madonnina after anassist by Milito, in the 4–0 defeat ofA.C. Milan.[24] Having been in and out of the team for the duration of the season, he netted his first brace for them in a 3–0 win overBologna on 3 April 2010.[25]
Motta also appeared in eight games during the club'svictorious Champions League campaign, including the 0–1 loss at former side Barcelona in the semi-finals (3–2 aggregate win). During that match, he was sent off after apparently strikingSergio Busquets in the face with his hand; the incident gathered attention due to Busquets' apparent feigning of injury.[26][27]
On 23 October 2011, from acorner taken byWesley Sneijder, Motta scored through a header in a 1–0 victory againstChievo, which was Inter's first at home in2011–12.[28]
On 31 January 2012, in spite of Inter managerClaudio Ranieri indicating shortly before he was confident the player would remain with the club until the end of the season, having called him to the upcoming league match againstPalermo,[29][30] Motta signed withParis Saint-Germain inFrance, for a fee believed to be around€10 million.[31] Following his move, he revealed that he dreamt of playing for the club ever since fellow Brazilians such asRaí,Leonardo andRonaldinho shone in theFrench capital;[32] he also revealed that he was not happy at Inter, refusing to further elaborate on his reasons to leave.[33]
Four days after signing for the club, Motta made his debut for PSG, againstEvian in a 3–1 home win, beingbooked in the process.[34] On 22 April 2012, in another home fixture, he scored his first goal inLigue 1, contributing to a 6–1 rout ofSochaux.[35]
On 21 February 2014, aged 31, Motta extended his contract until June 2016.[36] In August, he was left with a broken nose after being headbutted byBastia'sBrandão in the tunnel, as his opponent went on to be suspended for six months.[37]
Motta announced his retirement for the end ofthe season on 8 May 2018, while also being appointed as the new coach ofPSG's under-19 side.[38] During his six-and-a-half-year stint at theParc des Princes, he played 232 competitive matches and won 19 trophies, making his final appearance on 19 May againstCaen.[39]
Motta made his debut forBrazil in the2003 CONCACAF Gold Cup.[40] Motta missed the2004 CONMEBOL Men Pre-Olympic Tournament due to injuries,[41] but appeared for theunder-23 team in November 2003 againstSantos.[42] Subsequently, there were claims that he wanted to be called up forItaly and possibly to the2010 FIFA World Cup, as he possessed dual nationality – his paternal grandfather being Italian.[43] His great-grandfather, Fortunato Fogagnolo, left for South America fromPolesella in the early 1900s.[44]FIFA granted players to have one chance to change their representing nation if they had dual nationality, but not for players who have already played in a competitive "A" match (non-friendly).[45]
On 6 February 2011, Motta received his first call-up from Italy, for afriendly againstGermany, but an official statement from theItalian Football Federation declared it subject to FIFA clearance,[46] which was granted two days later.[47] He made his debut in that match on 9 February, beingreplaced in the 63rd minute of the 1–1 draw byAlberto Aquilani.[48]
On 25 March 2011, in only his second international, aUEFA Euro 2012qualifier inSlovenia, Motta scored the game's only goal following a 73rd-minute combination withFederico Balzaretti.[49] He was selected to the finals inPoland andUkraine, starting in three group stage matches for theAzzurri and adding two substitute appearances, againstGermany in the semi-finals (2–1 win) andSpain inthe final; in the decisive match, after having again replacedRiccardo Montolivo, in the 55th minute, he suffered ahamstring injury after only five minutes and had to be carried off, leaving his team with ten players as he was the third and last allowable player brought in by managerCesare Prandelli – in an eventual 0–4 loss.[50]
Motta was named in a 30-man provisional squad for the2014 FIFA World Cup on 13 May,[51] and also made the final list. He played his first-ever game inthe tournament at the age of nearly 32, coming on in the 57th minute of the 2–1 opening group stage victory overEngland on 14 June.[52]
On 31 May 2016, Motta was named toAntonio Conte's 23-man Italy squad forEuro 2016, and was handed thenumber 10 shirt.[53] The decision to assign him that number sparked controversy,[54] although international teammateDaniele De Rossi later defended the manager's decision stating: "Those who have joked about it just don't know much about football. Just play the ball around a bit with Thiago Motta and then you will rinse your mouth out. He might not be a No. 10 likeBaggio orTotti, but technically he's a master."[55] He made four appearances throughout the tournament, but was suspended for the quarter-final match against Germany, after being booked for the second time in the competition in the previous round against Spain;[56] his substitute appearance in the 2–0 round of 16 victory on 27 June was his 30th and final cap for Italy,[57] as his team were eliminated on penalties in the next round following a 1–1 draw.[58]
A combative player, Motta was usually deployed as either adefensive orcentral midfielder, but he was capable of playing in various other midfield positions due to his tactical intelligence and versatility.[59][60][61] In the Italy national team, under Prandelli, he was on occasion deployed as adeep-lying playmaker or anattacking midfielder, due to his ability to set the tempo of his team's play in midfield with his passing.[60][61][62][63][64][65][66][67][68][69][70] At Euro 2012, he played in a new role offalse attacking midfielder in Prandelli's 4–3–1–2 formation.[71] His role has also been likened to that of ametodista ("centre-half," in Italian football jargon), due to his ability to dictate play in midfield as well as assist his team defensively.[72]
Motta's most prominent traits were his ball control, technique, vision and passing range, although he was also praised for his tackling, ability to read the game and consistent defensive attributes as a ball winner.[59][63][64][73][74] Due to his physical strength, heading accuracy and ability to make late attacking runs from behind into the penalty area, he excelled in the air,[59][62][73][75] and also possessed a powerful long-range shot;[59] despite his skills, he was also criticised for his aggression on the pitch and his lack of pace.[59][61][64][76] Moreover, he was known to be injury-prone.[10]
On 21 October 2019, his former club Genoa, at the time occupying the second-to-last position in the Italian top tier, announced his appointment as the new manager, replacing the recently dismissedAurelio Andreazzoli.[79][80] In his first official match in charge, five days later, he led the team to come from behind and achieve a 3–1 home win overBrescia.[81][82] With the side in last place, however, he was fired on 28 December.[83]
On 5 July 2021, Motta was appointed head coach of Serie A clubSpezia, replacing departing managerVincenzo Italiano following the latter's departure toFiorentina.[84][85] With a team widely touted for relegation also due to an impending transfer market ban,[86] and despite a difficult start of season which almost led the club to dismiss him by December, Motta turned Spezia's fortunes by January, and was also awarded theSerie A Coach of the Month award after achieving three consecutive wins.[87][88][86]
On 15 May 2022, following a win atUdinese, Motta successfully guided Spezia to escape relegation for the second season in a row with still a game to go.[89] Motta left Spezia by mutual agreement on 28 June 2022.[90]
On 12 September 2022, Motta was named new head coach of Serie A clubBologna, replacingSiniša Mihajlović.[91][92] He was named Coach of the Month in February 2023, having achieved three victories in four matches during that month.[93] He eventually led Bologna to a ninth-place finish with 54 points in 2022–23, setting a new record for the team.[94]
In his full season in charge in2023–24, he was awarded Coach of the Month in both February and March.[95][96] Subsequently, he managed to guide the club to clinch aUEFA Champions League berth for the first time since1964–65, ensuring a top-five finish in Serie A.[97][98]
On 23 May 2024, the club announced that Motta had declined to extend his contract, signaling his imminent departure.[99] However, he eventually managed to achieve a new record at the club with 68 points.[100]
On 12 June 2024, Motta was appointed as head coach of Serie A clubJuventus, signing a three-year contract.[101]
On 23 March 2025, Motta was sacked by Juventus following a stretch of calamitous results culminating in a 4–0 loss toAtalanta and 3–0 defeat to Fiorentina. He was replaced byIgor Tudor.[102]
Following his retirement from professional football in May 2018, Motta became the new coach ofParis Saint-Germain's under-19 side.[38] In an interview withLa Gazzetta dello Sport in November of that year, he stated that he wanted to revolutionise football with a4–3–3 formation that could be interpreted as a2–7–2, commenting:
"My idea is to play offensively. A short team that controls the game, high pressure and a lot of movement with and without the ball. I want the player that has the ball to always have three or four solutions and two teammates close by to help. The difficulty in football is, often to do things simply but to control the base, pass and get free. I don't like the numbers of the field because they trick you. You can be super offensive with a 5–3–2 and defensive in a 4–3–3. Depending on the quality of the guys. I had a game a while ago where the two full-backs ended up playing as the 9 and 10. But that doesn't mean I don't like people likeSamuel andChiellini, born defenders. Could it be a 2–7–2? No, the goalkeeper counts as one of the midfield seven. For me, the attacker is the first defender and the goalkeeper is the first attacker. The goalkeeper starts the play, with his feet and the attackers are the first to put pressure to recover the ball."[103][104][105]
He has also been known to use an attacking4–2–3–1 formation.[106][107]
^Grimaldi, Filippo (10 June 2009)."Il Genoa in rima: con Pelé c' è Dembelé" [Genoa rhyme: with Pelé comes Dembelé].La Gazzetta dello Sport (in Italian). Retrieved21 December 2010.
^"Thiago Motta prolonge jusqu'en 2016" [Thiago Motta extends until 2016] (in French). Paris Saint-Germain F.C. 21 February 2014. Archived fromthe original on 26 February 2014. Retrieved21 February 2014.
^Garlando, Luigi (23 June 2012)."Inghilterra-Italia si deciderà qui" [England–Italy will be decided here].La Gazzetta dello Sport (in Italian). Retrieved16 August 2016.
^Bocci, Alessandra; Schianchi, Andrea (26 July 2007)."Milan: è Motta il Mister X" [Milan: Motta is Mister X].La Gazzetta dello Sport (in Italian). Retrieved23 May 2018.
