L’Equipe: Juventus contact former Barcelona coach – Is Thiago Motta at risk? | OneFootball

A report from France claims Juventus have made contact with Barcelona legend Xavi Hernandez, thus raising concerns about Thiago Motta’s future at the club.

The Bianconeri appointed the Italian Brazilian tactician in the summer, identifying him as the right profile to implement a modern and progressive style of play in contrast to the rigid and uninspiring brand of football witnessed during Max Allegri’s forgettable second stint at the club.

However, the 42-year-old’s task is proving much more difficult than initially imagined.

Juventus are enduring yet another miserable campaign, laying 5th place in the table, 16 points adrift from league leaders Napoli who bested them on Saturday.

So according to L’Equipe via IlBianconero, the club’s directors have contacted Motta’s former Barcelona teammate Xavi to enquire about his availability, albeit for a future role rather than an immediate one.

As the source explains, the Serie A giants have no plans to part ways with Motta in the near future, and a mid-season breakup is most probably out of the question barring any extraordinary events.

Nevertheless, the management doesn’t want to be caught off guard at some stage. So if they were to decide to part ways with their current head coach at some point, they would like to have a clear plan in mind.

For his part, Xavi has been on the shelf since leaving Barcelona at the end of last season. The Blaugrana legend replaced Ronald Koeman in November 2021, and managed to build a solid foundation that could initiate a new winning dynasty during his three years at the club, elevating a host of  La Masia youth products and trusting them with key roles.

The 2010 World Cup winner even clinched the LaLiga trophy in his second season at Camp Nou, but an underwhelming third campaign prompted his exit last summer.