Bologna’s complicated relationship with Thiago Motta: From Champions League to Juventus

The upcoming Juventus-Bologna match on Saturday began, in a sense, around the 80th minute of Bologna’s Coppa Italia round of 16 game against Monza. From the sparsely populated Bologna curva at the Dall’Ara stadium, a few chants against Juventus arose, followed by insults directed at former coach Thiago Motta. This outburst targeted the man who led Bologna to Champions League qualification after sixty years, only to join Juventus when his contract expired in the summer. The chant was met with some whistles from other sections of the stadium.

Calciomercato report that the animosity, however, isn’t solely due to Motta’s move to Juventus. The friction with the curva, or at least a significant part of it, predates this transfer, originating during Bologna’s remarkable ascent. Surprisingly, the insulting chant was effectively the first dedicated to Motta in the past two and a half years. Throughout the Champions League campaign, he rarely received any chants, save for a couple of spontaneous outbursts from other sections during two separate matches.

The roots of this discord can be traced back to October 2022, shortly after Motta’s arrival when the team was struggling. Ultras were allowed into the dressing room at Casteldebole for a confrontation with the squad. Motta intervened, shielding his players from what he perceived as threats. This incident effectively made the Casteldebole dressing rooms off-limits under Motta’s tenure.

As the team’s performance improved, finishing ninth, tensions arose during the summer transfer window, with Motta publicly challenging the club. August saw the construction of the team that would eventually secure Champions League qualification. However, the relationship between Motta and certain fan groups remained strained, exemplified by a curious incident in February 2024 when a banner calling for the rarely-used Jesper Karlsson was briefly displayed during a match.

Despite leading Bologna to historic success, Motta never received widespread vocal support from the curva. As rumors of his move to Juventus intensified, even a dramatic 3-3 draw against the Turin side raised doubts. At the celebration in Piazza Maggiore, Motta’s impending departure was almost common knowledge, and he remained somewhat aloof during the festivities.

The recent insults at the Coppa Italia match reflect this complex history. While some fans whistled in disapproval of the chant, recognizing Motta as the architect of Bologna’s return to the Champions League after six decades, others seem unable to forgive his move to their “great enemy” Juventus. The Bologna curva won’t be present at the Allianz Stadium due to longstanding issues with Juventus’ stadium access policies, but the tension surrounding Motta’s return is palpable, highlighting the complicated legacy he leaves behind in Bologna.

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