Chiesa ‘shocked' by Juventus cull and stark Thiago Motta warning
Federico Chiesa reveals what Thiago Motta told him before his move to Liverpool and why he was 'shocked' by some of the decisions made at Juventus this season.
The winger sat down with the Corriere dello Sport for a lengthy interview and you can read the rest of his comments here.
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He made the transfer to Liverpool late last summer for a minimal fee of €12m plus bonuses, as Juve did not want to risk losing him as a free agent with the contract running down.
Although Chiesa was bitterly criticised by fans for that departure, he insists it was not what he wanted at all.
Chiesa felt pushed out of Juventus
Italy forward Federico Chiesa gestures during the UEFA Euro 2024 Group B football match between Italy and Albania at the BVB Stadion in Dortmund on June 15, 2024. (Photo by FRANCK FIFE / AFP) (Photo by FRANCK FIFE/AFP via Getty Images)
'Thiago Motta was clear with me: I don't need you, find another club. I told him that I was ready to fight for my place, to prove I could still be of use to Juventus, but there was nothing to be done. It's his choice,' explained the Italy international in the Corriere dello Sport.
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His was only one of many changes to the squad over the last 12 months, which saw some legends of the locker room shoved aside.
'Everyone knew Szczesny and Rabiot were not part of their plans, but seeing Fagioli and Danilo pushed out shocked me. Dani was such a strong reference point in the dressing room, it was a choice I simply did not understand, nor agree with.'
Juventus forward Federico Chiesa reacts during the Italian Serie A football match between Genoa and Juventus at the Luigi Ferraris stadium, on December 15, 2023. (Photo by Marco BERTORELLO / AFP) (Photo by MARCO BERTORELLO/AFP via Getty Images)
The transformation was off the field too and isn't finished yet, because Thiago Motta was sacked on March 23, failing to even see out a complete season in Turin.
Both Chiesa and Danilo made their feelings clear on the matter.
Director of sport Cristiano Giuntoli has also now been axed, just two years after he was poached from Napoli.
MILAN, ITALY – OCTOBER 27: Thiago Motta, Head Coach of Juventus, interacts with his players Danilo and Nicolo Fagioli during the Serie A match between FC Internazionale and Juventus at Stadio Giuseppe Meazza on October 27, 2024 in Milan, Italy. (Photo by)
Chiesa won the Premier League with Liverpool and reached the Champions League quarter-finals, where they were eliminated by eventual winners Paris Saint-Germain.
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'PSG really dominated us in the first leg, even if we won the match, but things went differently in the second leg and they won. It's a very strong team, with such intensity. In the Final, once they were 2-0 up after 20 minutes, it was over. You could see Inter were psychologically crushed.'
Inter were eventually defeated 5-0 on the night in Munich.
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