In a candid post-match interview following Juventus’ 2-1 loss to Napoli at the Diego Armando Maradona Stadium, coach Thiago Motta provided deep insights into the team’s performance and ongoing challenges.
Motta expressed disappointment with the result, acknowledging Napoli’s strength while highlighting the complexities of their own performance. The coach candidly addressed the team’s physical and tactical limitations: “We’ve played many matches recently. Having limited preparation time during the week impacts our performance. In the second half, we struggled to repeat the good things we showed in the first half.”
He noted that they had a good first half, putting significant pressure on their opponents. “Napoli, who lead the league table, are not there by chance – they’re a strong team with an excellent coach.”
Motta directly confronted a long-standing issue: “We haven’t won in this stadium since 2019, and that’s a fact.” This statement underscores the psychological barrier the team faces when playing at Napoli.
Analyzing the defeat, Motta pointed out technical shortcomings. He emphasized that personality was not lacking in the first half, initial pressing was effective, and they limited Napoli’s play. However, the second-half performance saw technical deterioration, with losing second-ball duels allowing Napoli to attack effectively.
Despite the setback, Motta remained focused on future opportunities: “Our reaction is for the next match. Today, we are disappointed.”
