Buffon: ‘Juventus have unity now, but faith in Thiago Motta future’ | OneFootball

Gigi Buffon feels that Juventus are ‘moving in the same direction’ under Igor Tudor, but while criticising Thiago Motta for certain decisions, still has ‘a lot of faith in his future’ as a coach.

The 2006 World Cup winner is now the delegation chief for the Italy squad under coach Luciano Spalletti, but although he also won silverware at Parma and Paris Saint-Germain, his club career will always be most associated with Juventus.

The retired goalkeeper was in the DAZN studio this evening as a pundit to watch the 1-1 draw between Juve and Roma at the Stadio Olimpico, the second match under new coach – and his former Bianconeri teammate – Igor Tudor.

“Seeing them this evening, it looked as if the players had something more to say to each other and to share, that they were moving in the same direction,” said Buffon.

“Earlier this season, they seemed to be struggling, I couldn’t see a common thread, so everyone was giving their own interpretation to the match. They had no unity.”

Buffon analyses Juventus under Thiago Motta

TURIN, ITALY – MARCH 03: Thiago Motta, Head Coach of Juventus, looks on prior to the Serie A match between Juventus and Verona at Allianz Stadium on March 03, 2025 in Turin, Italy. (Photo by Valerio Pennicino/Getty Images)

Thiago Motta had great expectations when he took Bologna to fifth place last season and took the Juventus job, but he was fired after back-to-back defeats to Atalanta and Fiorentina.

“I think that, considering his background as a player first and as a coach later, Thiago Motta would do well. I still think he will have a great career, so I hope that this setback will be a learning curve and help him to become a better coach. I still have a lot of faith in his future,” assured Buffon.

The arrival of Tudor was seen as bringing more of the Juventus DNA, considering his past as both a player in Turin and also assistant manager to Andrea Pirlo.

“It would be reductive to say he only brought determination. Igor already showed at Lazio last season what he can bring, the energy and positivity that he transmits to the squad. That is also what the team needed at Juve.”

Thiago Motta had also been criticised for a lack of consistency when it came to choosing the Juventus captain, passing the armband around several different players this season.

“It was certainly unusual,” confessed Buffon when asked about this approach.

“The first thing you do when you step into the Juventus dressing room is see the photographs of the captains, the over 100 years of history. This suggests you need to find a captain and stick to it, because in those delicate moments or when you need someone to pass on the message of the coach, the captain cannot be weakened. He must be supported and made to feel like the focal point of the squad.”