No love lost for Motta ahead of Genoa return

Thiago Motta is relishing the chance to end Juventus’ three-match winless run in Serie A against former club Genoa this weekend.

Motta, who has taken nine points from his first five games as Juventus head coach, returns to the Stadio Luigi Ferraris after playing and managing the Grifone.

The 42-year-old made 27 appearances for Genoa in all competitions, scoring six goals in the 2008-09 season before moving to Inter the following campaign.

Motta then returned as their head coach in 2019, replacing Aurelio Andreazzoli, but managed just two wins from his 10 games in charge (D3 L5) before being sacked.

“I’ve experienced so many good moments. It was a privilege. I enjoyed it both as a player and as a coach. I’m always happy to return there,” Motta said.

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While Juventus come into the encounter unbeaten, and the only team yet to concede in Europe’s major top five leagues, they have struggled at the top end of the pitch.

The Bianconeri have drawn each of their last three league matches against Roma, Empoli and Napoli with a score of 0-0.

Juventus could draw four goalless games in a row for the first time in their history in Serie A, but Motta was not worried about his team’s goal-scoring form.

“The offensive phase is not just one player, but the whole team,” Motta said.

“We took an important step in the game against Napoli. We took the ball away from a great team.

“We have to put attackers and midfielders in a position to do well. We have to create as a team.

“They always want to win. I always want to win too. But there are many things behind a win.

“In the end, our goal is to win with our game. I have never perceived anxiety in my team. We always want the positive result.”