Thiago Motta made several surprising decisions in his first Juventus team selection against Como over the weekend.
The former midfielder’s lineup was highly anticipated, as fans were eager to see if the players who were regulars under Max Allegri would still feature prominently.
As it turns out, Motta is serious about transforming the club and is committed to selecting players based solely on merit.
One of his boldest decisions was benching Danilo while starting Federico Gatti in defense as captain for the night.
Motta also handed a debut to Samuel Mbangula, another significant move since the youngster was still relatively unknown to most of the club’s fanbase.
After the game, Motta defended his choices, emphasising that his team selection is based on merit, so such surprises should be expected.
Pundit Xavier Jacobelli has since commented on the situation, noting that the days of players being picked simply out of habit are over.
He said, as quoted by Tuttojuve:
“The wind has changed at Juventus. You can feel the enthusiasm. Motta doesn’t look at anyone, see the exclusion of Danilo . Off you go, keeping the captain on the bench for a tactical choice is a very clear indication to the team. No one in this Juventus is sure of having a permanent starting place”.
Juve FC Says
It feels great to see players fight for their shirts in the team every week.
