Former Juventus President Giovanni Cobolli Gigli believes Thiago Motta will succeed Max Allegri at Juventus: “He would be the perfect profile to open up a new era.” The former Bianconeri boss gave a lengthy interview to Calciomercato.it and discussed a range of topics, from the future of Max Allegri, the muddling season Juve have faced, and who would succeed Allegri in Turin:
“Let’s say that Empoli isn’t a good omen after last year’s defeat (4-1 for the Tuscans, ed.) and the draw of recent weeks, which marked the beginning of the negative period that has now lasted for almost two months. It’s a performance that can no longer be ignored: until recently, Juventus was keeping pace with Inter at the top of the table, albeit with unattractive but productive football. Now, everything has suddenly fallen apart,” begins the former number one of the ‘Old Lady’ post-Calciopoli from 2006 to 2009. “The mini retreat to unite the group seems not to have worked, and against Genoa, I saw a stuttering team, especially in the first half. In the second half, they hit the woodwork twice, but in the end, what matters are the points and the results, and Juventus has been getting few in recent matches.”
Cobolli goes on to reprimand Dusan Vlahovic, who was sent off for dissent late in the game: “I also find the behavior of a player like Vlahovic unacceptable. He certainly wants to give his best, but he needs to control his nerves better. His expulsion will also cost him a suspension in an important match against Lazio, where Allegri won’t even have Milik available in attack due to injury. From now on, all the matches will be important and decisive for the race for a Champions League spot, and I expect the players to become aware of the team’s delicate moment. They need to come together and try to secure third place in the standings, behind Inter and Milan, for the good of Juventus but also for their own personal advantage since they would have greater visibility. Perhaps something has happened within the dressing room and the club: I respect Allegri for what he’s doing this year and what he managed to achieve last year in a season heavily influenced by extracurricular events and the penalty, but it’s evident that there’s tension within Juventus.”
Allegri’s outburst after the Genoa match is not an isolated incident: “He’s usually very careful and polite with interviewers after games, never letting himself go with outbursts. On Sunday, he showed a moment of nervousness, evidently due to the difficult situation and the lack of results,” explains Cobolli Gigli. “In these last nine games, Juventus must tighten up and absolutely achieve the objective of qualifying for the Champions League, which will be crucial after the Club World Cup qualification to balance the books and relaunch also in football terms. Not qualifying among the top four would be a disaster both in sporting and economic terms for the club. I don’t even consider the possibility of Juventus not qualifying for the Champions League: as a fan, I believe they must make it at all costs.”
Allegri’s future on the bench is increasingly uncertain ahead of the summer: “A person like Galeone, who knows him very well and certainly much better than I do, recently advised him to go and coach abroad. This, in my opinion, is a sign that the relationship between Allegri and Juventus is not as smooth as it was until some time ago. Giuntoli is a prepared director who knows how to build teams well: if he worked on the market without listening to the coach’s opinion, despite the public statements of confidence in Allegri, then it would be a sign of detachment because teams are built also and above all based on the coach’s opinion. These are obviously things we can’t know, but for the first time, I, who have always had great esteem for Allegri, think instead that the termination of the contract and therefore the separation from Juventus at the end of the season could be possible. We certainly hope that this can happen with the conquest of qualification for the next Champions League and that for the image of the club and the coach, there is a civil and serene divorce with the merits that each brings home, as happens in all great relationships.”
In Juventus’ thoughts, Thiago Motta stands out for a potential post-Allegri era, along with the suggestion of Zidane and the wildcard Palladino: “I start from the assumption that Juventus needs to balance its books and cannot afford to spend certain sums as it has done in recent years for Allegri. It cannot think of too expensive coaches in terms of wages, such as Zidane, who is someone I greatly admire but who evidently would make certain requests not in line with the club’s financial recovery efforts,” highlights Cobolli Gigli. “Juventus is embarking on a path to balance the budgets and turn a profit, so I would go for young coaches who have been making a name for themselves lately. I have always thought that Thiago Motta was a top coach, and he is proving it abundantly at the helm of Bologna. He has a modern football vision and manages to get the most out of his players. I’m sincere: I would like to see him on the Juventus bench if Allegri were to leave; he would be the perfect profile to open a new cycle. Palladino, on the other hand, I remember when he was at Juventus under my management. Once he scored three goals (against Triestina in the Serie B championship in 2007, ed.), and jokingly I made a remark: ‘We also have our Palladinho,’ likening him to Ronaldinho. I have to congratulate him because he is doing exceptional things on the Monza bench, despite his young age. He is a prepared person, and thanks to his character, he knows how to control the team.”
In addition to Allegri, the future of Rabiot and Chiesa also remains uncertain at Continassa: “I’m sorry to have to answer, but trying to be frank and say what I think, I believe that Rabiot would be more important than Chiesa. If I had to sell an important player to balance the budget, I would sacrifice Chiesa, but I say this with great regret since we’re talking about a champion with wonderful qualities who is currently struggling to express his full potential. I also didn’t like the attitude on the field of Chiesa and Vlahovic against Genoa: if they, who are friends, start quarreling, it means that there is something wrong.”
In the market, the name circled in red is definitely that of Koopmeiners: “I can only speak well, he is a complete midfielder who also scores many goals and of excellent quality. He would surely raise the technical and qualitative level of the team. However, considering the recent matches, in addition to a reinforcement of substance in midfield, Juventus also needs to fix the defensive department ahead of the upcoming summer – the thought of the former president of the Bianconeri – Juve has good players in the squad, probably still lacking some great champions, although Vlahovic could become one if he manages to change his attitude on the field and be less nervous. He should take an example from Del Piero, one of the greatest players Juventus has ever had, whom I remember once didn’t react to Cufrè’s slap in a match against Roma. Del Piero demonstrated on that occasion to be a top-class player, not only for his purely footballing qualities. I invite Vlahovic and any player to learn and follow Del Piero’s example.”
“I have great esteem for Del Piero, as a player and as a man. He is a balanced person, as he demonstrates even now in his television appearances. He is someone who understands football also for what he has done, and therefore we have one of the most prepared figures in Italy in terms of football. I don’t know what Juventus will do, and it doesn’t depend on me. I am sure that President Ferrero, who is trying to recover the serious losses caused by the previous management, will make the best decisions for the good of the club.”
