Buffon: ‘Thiago Motta brings something special to Juventus’ | OneFootball

Gigi Buffon is confident Thiago Motta will succeed at Juventus, because the former Bologna coach has ‘something special’ and his appointment is a ‘calculated risk.’

The Bianconeri sacked Max Allegri and have not officially appointed his replacement yet, but it has been widely reported for many weeks that Thiago Motta has the job wrapped up for next season.

“Juve are probably trying to inject new spark into an ambitious project and in my view they have had the courage to take a risk,” said Buffon at the Globe Soccer Europe Awards.

“I see this as a calculated risk, though. Considering what he has shown so far in his career, Thiago Motta is proving he has something special. I would say that even before Bologna, it was something of a small masterpiece at Spezia.”

Thiago Motta turns 42 in August and has spent his entire senior coaching career in Italy, starting at Genoa in 2019 for only 10 games.

He then spent the 2021-22 campaign at Spezia, saving them from relegation, and joined Bologna in September 2022.

It was a remarkable achievement to qualify the Rossoblu not just for Europe after two decades, but even for the Champions League.

Buffon prepares Italy for EURO 2024

Buffon has been appointed as the chief delegate for Italy under Luciano Spalletti and will be at the EURO 2024 tournament in Germany next month.

“I am curious to see what I can give and how we will deal with this appointment. Having known these players well, I don’t think they are disoriented and if they should wander off route, the coach is there to get them back in place. My presence could be useful in other situations.

“Spalletti brought a sense of belonging, hard work and his staff are doing everything to give a little extra to this squad.”

Italy open their EURO 2024 campaign against Albania on June 15, followed by Spain on June 20 and Croatia on June 24.

“The first game might not be the most difficult, but it is the most delicate, because starting on the right foot can give us that confidence and positivity.”