After taking Bologna to the Champions League, the Italian-Brazilian coach finds himself first in the standings with Juventus, even in the absence of any new sensational signings. From tactics to team-building philosophy, the coach is an absolute novelty in Italian football and beyond.
When the Juventus-Como line-up was announced, fans and insiders jumped: “Mbangula is the holder? Who is this guy?”they wondered. Even if the young man had already made a name for himself in the summer friendlies, the championship is something else. A thing for veterans, for people with hair on their chests, who don’t care whether they enter and leave the JMedical as if they were at the bar, or whether the many springs on their shoulders soothe their animosity, slow down their momentum. At least that was the philosophy that prevailed until last year at the Continassa, but it can be said that it is still the case in the vast majority of football places.
At “Thiagocracy”
However, it is not that of Thiago Motta and what has been renamed his “Thiagocracy”, a real revolution: hierarchies cancelled, no one assured of having their place if they do not earn it in training, those who are useful to the team and its game. The Italian-Brazilian coach, trained among the youth of the PSGdon’t look anyone in the face: Nzola, Arnautovic, ChurchFrom Spezia to Juve, he dethroned the prima donnas, sacrificed in the name of his conception of football: “If young people are strong, they are strong no matter what their age”he said yesterday, after the debutant Nicholas Savona scored against Véroneas Mbangula had done on the first day. A young Belgian who also showed, with an assist and the action that allowed Juve to obtain a penalty, that the first match was not a flash in the pan.
Make way for the young, or rather make way for those who, according to him, deserve it, whatever their name. The captain Danilo knows something about it, he who, even if he is not at his best, no longer seems to have a secure place in the team, as was the case under Allegri. Grandiloquent names like Wojciech Szczesny, Frederick Church already mentioned, Adrien Rabiot for which Motta did not make much effort for his extension. Not to mention the plethora of dismissals he created, shaking up the squad with seven new departures, thanks to the skillful art of Christian Giuntolithe complete manager who, with Motta, has started a real revolution. A revolution that now makes the Bianconeri fans dream, since the team seen so far will be strengthened by names like Nico Gonzalez, Francisco Conceiçao, Teun Koopmeiners.
The creation of the group
Even before the match, Motta’s skill was to create his group by making everyone feel really important, not with words as coaches like to do, but with actions. Everyone knows that they can aspire to a starting place thanks to their work (and quality, of course), regardless of the classic hierarchy or market value. This is why not only a Savona can take Danilo’s place, but also a Beans can aspire to that of Douglas Luizdespite the 50 million euros that the Brazilian cost, although his little use suffers from the need to recover from the efforts of the Copa América.
Juan Cabalrecovered from Verona and who has won his starting place, explains it better in his words at the end of the match against Verona: “The secret of this team is that we all run on the field, we are a family and those who make mistakes are not criticized, we are all leaving” (…) It is the confidence that the coach wants to give to all the players, those who have experience and those who do not, it is important for me, who arrived now, and for the young players of the Next Gen”.
Playing philosophy and the famous 2-7-2
Ball possession, pressing and aggressiveness in ball recovery, continuous attack. This is the coach’s basic playing philosophy, and one can understand why he wanted to revolutionize Juventus’ midfield, which was not suited to this type of game.
From a more tactical point of view, Motta’s revolution is even more profound, starting with the design of the formation. It has raised doubts and the usual hilarity of those who are not used to revolutions, the famous 2-7-2, which in reality is not one (especially because with the goalkeeper there would be 12 men). Accustomed to the usual 4-4-2, 4-3-3, 3-4-3, 3-5-2 modules, Motta’s choice could have seemed absurd if we did not understand how the coach observes the field and arrives at this result. In fact, instead of looking at a formation horizontally, as is usually the case, the Juventus coach divides the field into three vertical corridors.
Motta explains his game in an interview with Gazzetta dello Sport: “My idea is to play offensively. A short team that controls the game, high pressure and a lot of movement with and without the ball. I want the player who has the ball to always have three or four solutions and two teammates nearby (the famous “seven” in the middle of the field, editor’s note) to help him. I don’t like field numbers because they are misleading. You can be super offensive with a 5-3-2 and defensive with a 4-3-3. It all depends on the quality of the players. Some time ago, in a match, the two full-backs ended up playing like 9s and 10s.
Although it resembles a 4-2-3-1, the defensive midfielder sometimes positions himself between the two central defenders, allowing the full-backs to push forward and the wingers to switch with the central midfielders. This creates triangles on both sides of the pitch that drive the play forward. In Motta’s teams, the goalkeeper is also crucial, which explains why the excellent Szczęsny was left out (apart from his exorbitant salary) to make way for the former keeper of Monza, By Gregory : because of his different ability with the ball between his feet. For Motta, every player becomes a passing option, even the goalkeeper.
If in his teams, among the four defenders, one always pushes forward in midfield leaving three players, during the 3-0 victory against Verona, the two central defenders Gatti et Bremer pushed forward, risking counter-attacks if the ball was intercepted, but favouring pressure on the opposing team and giving another passing option to the midfielders.
A welcome development for the whole of Italian football and beyond
Motta could be next Guardiola for his innovative way of conceiving football, even more than Xabi Alonsobut for Italy he could represent a savior, the next Bags for his influence on the choices of other coaches. Indeed, it is clear that if Motta succeeds with his game, the others will have to adapt, a bit like in the time of the “prophet of Fusignano” with his high defense and his offensive game that pushed everyone to go further, avoiding the useful draw away, then made useless by the three-point rule, and always looking for victory.
Only time will tell if Motta’s ideas will be successful, but for what he is showing, he can already be an example for many. Starting with his “Thiagocracy”, which eliminates hierarchies and recommendations, an Italian evil that does not only exist in football, to make way for a real meritocratic system. A way to give confidence to young people who can really aspire to a place without spending years on the bench waiting for the rest of the game, granted like a biscuit to an obedient puppy. A reckless but fair philosophy that, given the shortage of talent in the national team, would be salutary or even life-saving if it were applied by the rest of the movement. Regardless of the successes he will or will not achieve, Motta has traced a path, establishing himself as a phenomenon, that is, as an extraordinary technician, in a stale and worn-out football like that of Italy. And many can be inspired by it.
Marco Romandini – Live EditorFlashscore
