Juventus rushed to deny recent reports stating that they had reached out to Xavi to replace Thiago Motta on their bench. After losing to Napoli, they have a 16-point disadvantage from the league toppers. It was their first defeat, but they have picked up a host of draws. They hadn’t started this slowly in over a decade.

Despite that, the Bianconeri aren’t contemplating a coaching change, as L’Equipe had suggested (via Ansa). Their front office let it be known that their boss is safe, TuttoSport informs. They’d appreciate a turnaround, but they maintain their confidence in him.

Juventus aim to qualify for the Champions League next year, but even missing out wouldn’t necessarily lead to the ousting of Thiago Motta. The parties agreed to a three-year contract last summer. They aren’t distant from fourth-placed Lazio. Fiorentina, AC Milan, and Bologna are starting to nip at their heels, though.

The Old Lady has dropped a lot of points in Europe too and needs to beat Benfica and some luck to make the top eight.

Our Take on Juventus and Thiago Motta

The rumors had to start at some point, but, in reality, their struggles aren’t too surprising. They are rebuilding the team from the ground up with a young coach and a very squad. The odd part is they were good at the start of the season and then things have gone sideways lately rather than the other way around, which would have been more natural. It takes years to pull off what they are trying to achieve, but it remains to be seen whether their ownership will give the coach and director Cristiano Giuntoli the necessary time or will eventually cave in light of the fans’ impatience, the club’s history, and the burden of expectations.

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