Former Juventus manager Fabio Capello has offered his insights on the current state of the club under Thiago Motta’s leadership. While acknowledging the errors made, Capello emphasizes that the responsibility for change extends beyond just the coach and players to include the club’s management.
To understand the issues plaguing Motta’s Juventus, Capello points to the return leg against PSV and the recent Coppa Italia match against Empoli. In the Champions League game, Juventus played well in the first half but then disappeared from the field. Against Empoli in the Coppa Italia, the Tuscan side easily evaded Juventus’ poor pressing and created chances with alarming ease.
Capello identifies a lack of balance as the root of Juventus’ vulnerability, a problem Motta has yet to solve. He notes that against Empoli, Motta changed his approach, rightly attempting to play more vertically and speed up the team’s movement. However, Capello believes this shift in strategy should have been implemented much earlier.
The pundit contrasts Motta’s successful tactics at Bologna, which relied on patient build-up play and horizontal passing before accelerating in the final third, with the challenges faced at Juventus. He argues that while this approach worked well against more open opponents in Bologna, it’s less effective against teams that primarily focus on defending against Juventus.
“At Juventus, you need to take more risks and find ways to be less predictable,” Capello advises. He attributes the team’s 13 draws in the league partly to this overly cautious approach, urging Motta to change course and utilize the players at his disposal to speed up the game.
Capello also stresses the importance of maintaining motivation, especially after Champions League elimination. He emphasizes that a team can’t simply switch on and off like a light, highlighting the coach’s crucial role in managing player mentality.
However, Capello extends his critique beyond the coaching staff to the club’s management. He questions the effectiveness of recent transfer market decisions, emphasizing the need to identify players truly suited for Juventus. “Understanding which players can perform better in the short and medium term is the starting point for evaluating new signings based on the available budget,” Capello explains.
The former manager draws on his experience at Milan, where he relied on the expertise of Ariedo Braida for player assessment. He suggests that Juventus still has work to do in this area, citing questionable decisions such as the departures of Chiesa and Danilo, and the failure to make two or three key signings to elevate the team’s level after finishing third last season.
In conclusion, Capello asserts that while the club has embarked on a new journey with Thiago Motta, everyone – from players to the coach to the management – must now prove they are worthy of Juventus. The path forward requires a collective effort to address the tactical, motivational, and structural challenges facing the club.
