epa11744420 Juventus head coach Thiago Motta reacts during the UEFA Champions League match between Aston Villa and Juventus in Birmingham, Great Britain, 27 November 2024. EPA-EFE/ADAM VAUGHAN
Juventus coach Thiago Motta confirms Dusan Vlahovic, Vasilije Adžić and Nicolò Savona will be available against Bologna tomorrow and insists he spent two ‘fantastic’ years at the Dall’Ara.
Thiago Motta reunites with his former club, Bologna, in a Serie A match in Turin tomorrow, Saturday, December 7. The Allianz Stadium will be sold out for the meeting with the Rossoblu.
“Again, we thank the fans who will support us,” Motta said at a press conference.
“What we do on the pitch and what we transmit matters, and I am sure we can put in an excellent performance with our fans.
“Bologna is a great team; they are fit and play vertically. They press the opponents, and we must focus on what we must do and avoid.”
Juventus legend Buffon recently said Motta has proved to be the true leader in the dressing room.
“We are entirely focused on Bologna; I really respect Buffon, not only as a [former] player but also as a man,” argued the coach.
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“We shared many nice things, and I thank him. I’ll always thank him for what he did when we were together and what he’s doing now. His words may be positive or negative, but I know him, and he always wants the good of Juventus. All his comments towards Juventus are always constructive.
“We are all leaders. Surely, many on the pitch are leaders who take responsibility,” Motta continued.
“Others, for age and characteristics, get along with our leaders. Tomorrow, we have another opportunity to play in an important match. We want to play our game and put into practice what we know.
“We are only focused on this game. We are self-exigent in improving, going on the pitch, and performing our best. I can’t control the rest, and we respect all opinions.”
Juventus are still unbeaten in Serie A but have collected six victories and eight draws, including the two most recent matches, but Motta acknowledged that the pressure is part of his job.
“There is always pressure and responsibility at every club,” he said.
“We feel great responsibility every day, not only on matchdays. I take this responsibility with great pleasure. I feel privileged to be where I am today. We will do our best for Juventus.”
The Bianconeri scored one goal in the last three games across all competitions without Vlahovic, but the Serbia international will be eligible tomorrow.
“Dusan will be in the group tomorrow. He’s trained with the team this week,” Motta confirmed.
“Bremer, Nico Gonzalez, Milik, Douglas Luiz, Cabal, and McKennie are unavailable; all the rest are available.
“We are happy Vlahovic is back to do what he loves and his work, which is to enter the pitch and play football. Tomorrow, we have Dusan, Adzic, and Savona’s return. We are happy they are back.
“We come from games we haven’t won. We’ve played well in certain moments, but we have to improve in others. I repeat that we are self-demanding to improve in all aspects of the game, not just one. We must do everything well to make the team work well and have the result we want.
“Today, our attacking phase is everyone’s responsibility, starting with the goalkeeper,” insisted Motta.
“If we play better than the opponent and if we move the right players forward at the right time, we’ll have more chances to score. At the same time, we must defend well and not allow the opponents to create what they want. With this balance, we’ll get the results we want.”
A group of Bologna ultras insulted Motta during their latest Coppa Italia game against Monza, but the Bianconeri boss didn’t seem bothered.
“I spent two fantastic years in Bologna at a human and sporting level. I have nothing to add about the rest,” he said.
Juventus have had many injuries this season and Motta believes it was not just bad luck.
“I don’t believe in good luck and bad luck. I have my ideas about injuries, and you also have your opinions,” he concluded.
“You have already talked about many things. I try to focus on what I can improve regarding injuries and playing style to help the team be in the best condition to face the opponents. There are other things I can’t control because they are not part of my job.”