Bologna have confirmed that Thiago Motta will not renew his contract at the club, as he closes on a reported move to rivals Juventus.
The former Barcelona, Inter Milan and Paris Saint-Germain midfielder has been in hot demand recently, after leading Bologna to a historic place in the Champions League next season.
The 41-year-old has spent just two seasons at the club and, despite the impressive achievement, is now set to leave after the club confirmed the news.
In a statement, they said: ‘This morning Thiago Motta informed the club of his intention not to renew his contract with Bologna FC 1909.
‘Having taken note of the decision, the club thanks the coach for his extraordinary work and wishes him the best of luck for the rest of his career.’
Bologna have confirmed that Thiago Motta will not renew his contract with the club
Motta has been linked with Juventus, who recently sacked Massimiliano Allegri (pictured)
Motta has been closely linked with a move to rivals Juventus, who are searching for a manager since sacking Massimiliano Allegri following actions the Turin club deemed ‘incompatible’ with their values.
A club statement cited ‘certain behaviours’ during and after the final which they deemed ‘incompatible’ with their values.
Allegri’s dismissal comes after he threatened and insulted an esteemed Italian journalist in the wake of Juventus’ 1-0 triumph over Atalanta.
The now former Juventus head coach was sent off moments before full-time after losing his temper in the technical area and reportedly continued to express his fury with the media.
Motta was previously linked with a move to Manchester United, amid uncertainty over the future of head coach Erik ten Hag.
Motta stands with Paolo Montero, Juventus’ interim coach, after their 3-3 draw on Monday
The Bologna players celebrate after reaching the Champions League for the first time ever
Motta quickly moved into coaching after retiring from playing in 2018, taking charge of PSG’s under-19 side before returning to Italy for stints with Genoa and Spezia.
After keeping Spezia in Serie A against all odds in 2022, he replaced Sinisa Mihajlovic at Bologna in September 2022 and guided them to a ninth-place finish last season.
But this season, Motta has lifted Bologna to a whole new level using his unorthodox formation that is a 4-3-3 which could be interpreted as a 2-7-2.
Motta has committed himself to playing offensive football, with his players capable of occupying multiple positions and with whoever is on the ball having three or four team-mates available.
