Only one Juventus player paid tribute to Thiago Motta as surreal atmosphere revealed | OneFootball

Sometimes, silence speaks louder than words, and this might be the case following the sacking of Thiago Motta who received little love from his former Juventus players.

The 42-year-old was spending his day with his family in Portugal when he was informed of his sacking on Sunday afternoon with Igor Tudor arriving as a replacement. Hence, the manager might not have the opportunity to bid the squad farewell, but this might not be a great travesty after all based on the players’ reaction (or rather lack of) on social media.

As IlBianconero points out, only one among 28 Juventus players decided to bid the manager farewell with a social media post (as it has become the norm nowadays).

This happens to be Samuel Mbangula who made his debut with the senior Juventus squad under the guidance of the Italian Brazilian manager. The Belgian winger made the most of the opportunity, scoring the first goal of the season for the club against Como.

“I can’t thank you enough for trusting me since Day One and for allowing me to realize a part of my dream. I wish you all the best for the future!” posted Mbangula on social media.

(Photo by Gabriele Maltinti/Getty Images)

This situation adds weight to previous reports that revealed a ‘surreal’ atmosphere’ at the club during Motta’s final week in charge, with the coach distancing himself from the squad and the management and only uttering a few words during training sessions.

Motta had also been described as a largely unpopular figure in the dressing room due to his blatant approach and for the fashion in which he alienated some of his players, like Danilo and Nicolo Fagioli who were forced out of the club in January.

But while Mbangula is the only player to thank Motta on social media at the time of writing, the situation might change in the coming hours with more players following suit.