Federico Chiesa appears to have issued a sly dig at his former manager at Juventus, Thiago Motta, after the ex-Italy international was sacked after less than a year in charge of the Turin club.
Motta, who intends to stay at Liverpool despite a difficult first season at the club, was sacked over the weekend after a series of disappointing recent results: the club went out of the Champions League and the Coppa Italia in February, and the team’s final two Serie A games before the international break ended in heavy defeats by Atalanta and Fiorentina.
The club currently sits fifth in the Serie A standings, 12 points off Inter Milan in first, and when the club season resumes, Croat manager Igor Tudor will be the man in the Juve dugout. Transfer guru Fabrizio Romano shared news of Motta’s impending departure on Instagram before Juventus’ official announcement, and Chiesa, who was frozen out by Motta last summer, ‘liked’ the post.
After arriving at Juventus last summer, Motta made it clear that he did not want Chiesa in the Bianconeri squad, saying shortly before the winger’s switch to Liverpool: “Our position on Federico Chiesa hasn’t changed. He’s not part of our plans”.
Chiesa made 131 appearances for Juventus, scoring 32 times and registering 23 assists, but his stock fell towards the end of his time in Turin as he appeared to struggle to regain the dynamism he had shown earlier in his career.
Chiesa ended up joining Liverpool last summer but his struggles have continued in England, with the 27-year-old having started just three games for the Reds, with none of those starts coming in the Premier League.
(Image: Liverpool FC/Liverpool FC via Getty Images)
Slot turned to Chiesa during the second half of the Carabao Cup final as Liverpool chased the game, and he scored the goal that gave the team hope in injury time, but Liverpool could not find the second goal it needed to take the game to extra-time.
Chiesa’s dad told Italian media during the ongoing international break that his son has no intention of leaving Liverpool despite his lack of game time under Slot. “Federico is very happy at Liverpool, he is at a top club that is leading the Premier League and now we hope he can win the title!” Chiesa Sr. said. “He is there to have his say, he has a great opportunity.”
