Juventus have confirmed the appointment of Thiago Motta as their new head coach.

The former Bologna boss has signed a three-year deal at the Allianz Arena, and comes in as Massimiliano Allegri's replacement following his sacking on May 17.

Allegri was relieved of his duties with immediate effect last month, with the club citing his behaviour during their Coppa Italia final win against Atalanta as a factor in their decision.

Motta was immediately linked with the vacancy after he opted not to renew his contract with Bologna, having led the Rossoblu to a fifth-place finish in Serie A and Champions League qualification for the first time in their history. 

And following the announcement on Wednesday, the 41-year-old cannot wait to get to work with his new employers.

"I am really happy to begin a new chapter at the helm of a great club like Juventus," he told the club's official website.

"I thank the owners and the management, who can be sure of my ambition to keep the Juventus flag flying high and to please the fans."

Motta's first senior managerial role at Genoa in 2019 ended after two months, but he bounced back by steering Spezia to Serie A safety in his only full season in charge before moving to Bologna. 

Interim Juventus boss Paolo Montero praised his players' fight after they recovered from 3-0 down in the final 14 minutes to claim a 3-3 draw against Bologna in Serie A on Monday.

Juventus sacked Massimiliano Allegri last week in the aftermath of their Coppa Italia final victory over Atalanta, citing his fiery behaviour as a major factor in their decision.

On Monday, they came up against the man tipped to replace him in Bologna coach Thiago Motta, who saw his team race into a 3-0 lead within 53 minutes.

However, Federico Chiesa's 76th-minute effort kickstarted a stunning turnaround, with Arkadiusz Milik's free-kick soon after teeing up a grandstand finale.

Kenan Yildiz then scored an 84th-minute equaliser as the Bianconeri avoided defeat after trailing by three goals for the first time in their Serie A history.

While they have drawn each of their last six league games and could slip outside the top four on the final matchday, Montero believes they deserve credit for their efforts.

"In my view, the draw was the fair result," Montero told DAZN.

"The victory on Wednesday was important, mentally it drained them and to come here against one of the best teams at the moment like Bologna, you are going to struggle.

"After that dip in mentality, they fought back with pride and showed how much they care about the shirt."

Paolo Montero will take charge of Serie A side Juventus for the remainder of the season following the dismissal of Massimiliano Allegri.

Juventus sacked their former head coach Allegri on Friday over his behaviour during and after this week's Coppa Italia final in which he was sent off, ending a long period of speculation over his future.

Montero, who coaches Juventus' Under-19s team, will take charge for their remaining two matches, at Bologna on Monday and against Monza at home on May 26.

The 52-year-old Uruguayan won four Serie A titles playing for Juventus as a defender from 1996 to 2005 and will take his first training session on Sunday.

"Paolo is a Juventus legend, firstly on the pitch, and someone who has long been a bearer of the club's DNA on the bench," Juve said in a statement.

"Best of luck, Paolo!"

Juve are assured of Champions League qualification but could still finish between third and fifth in Serie A this season.

Juventus have relieved head coach Massimiliano Allegri of his duties with immediate effect, citing his behaviour during Wednesday's Coppa Italia final win as a factor in their decision.

Allegri led Juve to a 1-0 win over Atalanta in Wednesday's domestic cup final at the Stadio Olimpico, the Bianconeri's first major trophy since they won the same competition in 2021.

They have now won the Coppa six times in the last decade, while Allegri's five titles make him the most successful coach in the competition's history outright.

However, cup glory was not enough to save Allegri's job after a staggering collapse in the second half of Juve's 2023-24 Serie A campaign.

Juve were neck-and-neck with Inter at the summit at the turn of the year, but they are not even assured of a top-four finish with two games remaining following a run of five straight draws.

They are guaranteed Champions League football for 2023-24 due to Italian clubs' performances in Europe this term, but Allegri will not lead them on their return to Europe's elite club competition.

In a statement, the 36-time Italian champions said Allegri's animated behaviour during and after Wednesday's final contributed to his dismissal.

The club said: "Juventus announces that it has relieved Massimiliano Allegri of his duties as coach of the men's first team.

"The dismissal follows certain behaviours during and after the Coppa Italia final that the club deemed incompatible with the values of Juventus and with the behaviour that must be held by those who represent it.

"A period of collaboration which began in 2014 and restarted in 2021 for three more seasons together comes to an end.

"The club wishes Massimiliano Allegri the best of luck in his future projects."

Thiago Motta – who has led Bologna to Champions League qualification – has been strongly linked with the role, with Allegri's position being questioned throughout the last few months.

Massimiliano Allegri said that winning is in Juventus' DNA after the Bianconeri clinched the Coppa Italia title.

Dusan Vlahovic's goal proved enough for Juve to overcome Atalanta in Wednesday's final.

It marks Juve's first trophy since they won the Coppa in the 2020-21 season, when Cristiano Ronaldo was still at the club.

Juve still need one more win from their last two Serie A fixtures to guarantee Champions League qualification, but Allegri believes he has laid solid foundations this season, with his future still up in the air.

"Very happy for the boys, they brought joy to the club, to the fans and to me. Winning is never easy, but it is in our DNA," said Allegri, who became the first coach in history to win the Coppa Italia five times.

"If I am no longer the Juventus coach next year, I will leave a strong team. The club will make its evaluations."

Goalscorer Vlahovic says the target for next season is clear.

"I find it difficult to speak, I can only thank everyone," he told Mediaset.

"We know the difficulties we faced, in the end we achieved the objectives set at the beginning of the year. I'm sorry for the Scudetto, but Inter deservedly won it.

"We are very happy, but next year we must aim to win everything. Juventus' DNA requires this."

Juve have won six of the last eight Coppa Italia finals they have featured in, including their last two, both against Atalanta.

An early strike from Dusan Vlahovic earned Juventus a 1-0 win over Atalanta in the Coppa Italia final on Wednesday, as Massimiliano Allegri's side lifted their first trophy for three years.

Vlahovic put Juventus in front in the fourth minute when he latched onto a pass from Andrea Cambiaso and broke into the box, before driving his finish past goalkeeper Marco Carnesecchi.

The Serbia striker thought he had doubled Juve's lead in the 72nd minute when he nodded home from Cambiaso's cross, but that effort was disallowed for offside.

The Bianconeri had just 34 per cent of the possession and sat back for long periods, but Atalanta were unable to make their dominance of the ball count, failing to record a single shot on target from 13 attempts.

They will hope to fare better when they face Bayer Leverkusen in the Europa League final later this month, having now lost three Coppa Italia finals under Gian Piero Gasperini.

Data Debrief: Juventus on top once more

The Coppa Italia is Juventus' competition. They hold the record for most finals played (22) and won (15), and have now lifted the trophy in six of the last 10 years.

Allegri, meanwhile, has now won the Coppa on five separate occasions, surpassing Sven-Goran Eriksson and Roberto Mancini to become the competition's most successful coach outright.

Juventus coach Massimiliano Allegri said questions regarding his future will be resolved in the next couple of weeks after the Bianconeri's slump continued with Sunday's 1-1 draw with Salernitana.

Juve looked set for a humiliating Serie A loss at home to Stefano Colantuono's already-relegated side, only for Adrien Rabiot to equalise in stoppage time.

It was a fifth straight league draw for Allegri's side, who have slipped to fourth in Serie A, seven points behind second-placed Milan and level with Bologna in third.

Juve were neck-and-neck with recently crowned Scudetto winners Inter at the turn of the year, and their dismal end to the season has seen Allegri's position called into question.

Asked about his future on Sunday, Allegri said: "Just be patient a little bit longer, in 10 to 15 days you'll know what will happen next year. 

"Anyone who has played football knows that even the great teams can experience a moment of difficulty when the games become tough. We will certainly have to grow."

Wednesday's Coppa Italia final against in-form Atalanta presents an opportunity for redemption.

"The final against a team like Atalanta that has grown a lot will certainly be balanced," Allegri said. "It's a one-off game and we will have to try to make as few mistakes as possible.

Regarding Sunday's match, the 56-year-old said the performance was not satisfactory but stressed the importance of avoiding defeat.

"We started reasonably well, then made a mistake in our decision-making. We became disjointed and we didn't hold our positions," he said.

"You can't lose a match like that, otherwise you risk never picking yourselves back up again."

Juventus will need to grow as a team if they are to get out of their current slump, Bianconeri head coach Massimiliano Allegri said after their draw against relegated Salernitana on Sunday.

Juve were on their way to a humiliating Serie A loss at home until Adrien Rabiot equalised in stoppage time for a 1-1 draw.

It was a fifth straight league draw for Allegri's side, which has seen them slip to fourth, seven points behind second-placed Milan and level on 67 points with Bologna in third.

"Anyone who has played football knows that even the great teams can experience a moment of difficulty when the games become tough. We will certainly have to grow," Allegri said.

Their Coppa Italia final against Atalanta on Wednesday presents an opportunity for redemption.

"The final against a team like Atalanta that has grown a lot will certainly be balanced," Allegri said. "It's a one-off game and we will have to try to make as few mistakes as possible."

When asked about his future at the Turin club, Allegri stressed that he was focused on finishing the season.

"Regarding my future, just be patient a little bit longer, in 10-15 days you'll know what will happen next year," he said.

Regarding the match, the 56-year-old said the performance was not satisfactory but at least they did not lose.

"We started reasonably well, then made a mistake in our decision-making. We became disjointed and we didn't hold our positions," he said.

"You can't lose a match like that, otherwise you risk never picking yourselves back up again."

Juventus coach Massimiliano Allegri admitted to having regrets after the Bianconeri missed the chance to close the gap to second-placed Milan in Sunday's Serie A draw with Roma. 

Romelu Lukaku put Roma ahead early on at the Stadio Olimpico but Bremer's header dragged Juventus level before the break, as two teams vying for a top-five finish cancelled each other out.

Juventus have now won just two of their last 14 league games, and Allegri reacted to the final whistle on Sunday by storming off the bench and throwing his jacket to the ground in frustration.

Speaking to DAZN after the game, Allegri said: "There are regrets, naturally we could've done better during this period, but football is vicious like that, sometimes it just doesn't go your way.

"We risked losing a game that we were in a position to win at the start of the second half."

Despite four consecutive Serie A draws, Juventus remain six points clear of fifth-placed Roma and nine ahead of Atalanta in sixth – though La Dea have two games in hand.

With Italy guaranteed five Champions League qualification places for next season, they remain in a strong position to return to Europe's premier club competition, while they are also due to face Atalanta in the Coppa Italia final on May 15.

"The important thing now is to concentrate on the next game, as that is the match point for the Champions League, then we have the Coppa Italia final," Allegri said.

"The club will evaluate at the end of the season, naturally there are some solid foundations for Juve, but we were missing players like [Paul] Pogba, [Nicolo] Fagioli and of course [Federico] Chiesa was on and off."

Despite Juventus enjoying a broadly positive campaign after finishing seventh in 2022-23, when they were hampered by a 10-point deduction after an investigation into their historical financial dealings, Allegri's position has been called into question lately.

Asked about his own future, he said: "I don't know, you'd have to ask the club. 

"The important thing is for us to focus on the Coppa Italia final and hopefully, we’ll come back here with the Champions League already achieved."

Juventus and Roma are involved in the battle for Champions League qualification in Serie A and, after the latter's defeat in Europe, Massimiliano Allegri expects to face a side hungry to bounce back.

Roma, who lost their Europa League semi-final first leg 2-0 to German champions Bayer Leverkusen on Thursday, are fifth in the league standings after one win in three league games.

"We will find an angry Roma from Thursday who want to get back to fighting for the top-four positions and we will need a good game from our side," Allegri told his pre-match press conference ahead of Sunday's game in Rome.

"Roma are strong, they are doing very well. It will be a fascinating game, but difficult and complicated."

Juventus are third despite their dramatic decline in the second half of the season and victory on Sunday would secure their Champions League place.

Allegri's side lost once in the first half of the campaign, but have suffered four defeats in the second part and are on a run of one win in eight league matches.

"In the first half we scored 46 points, in the second half we didn't manage to do what we did in the first round, we have done much worse," Allegri said.

"We are close to the goal, and we need to stay focused. 

"Until we have mathematical certainty, we need to be careful. Football always gives you surprises."

Daniele De Rossi has turned Roma's season around since taking over from Jose Mourinho in January, with the club ninth in the standings at the time, and Allegri was full of praise for the young manager.

"Daniele brought enthusiasm and light-heartedness," Allegri said. "That is despite Mourinho's excellent work. In football you forget quickly, but Roma have played two European finals in two years.

"Daniele is young, he is just starting out and he can have a good career. I actually played with his father at Livorno, in 1986. Alberto's playing career was coming to an end, a wonderful person."

Serie A will have five Champions League spots next season.

Juventus have 65 points, one ahead of Bologna who have a game in hand, with Roma on 59. Atalanta are sixth, two points behind Roma with a game in hand.

Massimiliano Allegri declared Juventus have been victims of their own success this season after watching his Bianconeri side eliminate Lazio to reach the Coppa Italia final on Tuesday. 

Juventus took a 2-0 lead into Tuesday's semi-final second leg at Stadio Olimpico but saw that advantage wiped out when Valentin Castellanos scored either side of half-time.

However, a late strike from Arkadiusz Milik handed Juventus a 3-2 aggregate success and ensured they will appear in their eighth Coppa Italia final in the last 10 years.

Despite Juventus having a chance to lift their first major trophy since 2021 and being on course for a return to the Champions League, Allegri has continued to be criticised by sections of the media.

He believes Tuesday's achievement should be celebrated, however, saying: "It's never easy to reach a final, in the last three years we have played two Coppa Italia finals. 

"Now we must concentrate on Serie A, as we have not yet achieved Champions League qualification and this weekend it's the head-to-head with Milan."

Juventus sit third in Serie A ahead of Saturday's home clash with the Rossoneri, and with Italy guaranteed five Champions League places for next season, they are almost certain to be back among Europe's elite in 2024-25.

However, Juventus' drop-off in the second half of the season has led to continued speculation regarding Allegri's future.

At the turn of the year, Juventus were just two points behind Inter at the top of the table, but the Nerazzurri are now 22 points clear of their rivals and have clinched the Scudetto with five games to spare.

Allegri believes a fine start to the season gave rise to unreasonable expectations in Turin, adding: "This final is also worth Supercoppa Italiana qualification, so that is important financially. 

"Criticism will always be around Juventus, but it's our own fault for having a great first half to the season that nobody was expecting. 

"At that point, people thought we could fight it out with Inter, but I was worried that we could have difficulties in the second half. We had a big advantage and mentally rather let go."

Juventus will face either Atalanta or Fiorentina in next month's final, with the Viola holding a 1-0 lead in the other semi-final tie ahead of Wednesday's second leg in Bergamo. 

Cagliari’s record at home means Juventus head coach Massimiliano Allegri is not taking the trip to the Sardinian capital lightly.

Juventus are well positioned to secure Champions League qualification for next season, while Cagliari are just four points above the drop zone ahead of Thursday’s contest at the Unipol Domus.

The Bianconeri next take on Lazio in the Coppa Italia semi-final on Tuesday, holding a 2-0 lead from the first leg.

But Allegri is wary of Claudio Ranieri’s Cagliari, who scored twice in the last quarter of an hour to secure a 2-2 draw at runaway league leaders Inter Milan last time out.

“Of their eight wins this season, six have come at home and 23 of the 31 points they’ve got have been picked up at home,” Allegri told a press conference.

“They’re a team who score a lot of goals in the last 15 minutes of games and particularly with players who come off the bench, they have scored more goals with substitutes than anybody else.

“We know it will be a tough game, so our very best version will have to show up. We won’t be rotating ahead of the Italian Cup, the most important game is Cagliari, then we’ll focus on the cup.

“It would be a mistake to not focus on Cagliari, and a win in Sardinia would allow us to take a big step towards our goals.”

Juventus still have clashes against top-four rivals AC Milan, Roma and Bologna ahead of them in the next few weeks.

“It’s important to stay focused on the next month or so,” Allegri added. “We have a lot of difficult games to come. A win at this stage is almost worth double.”

Cagliari have lost just once in their last eight matches to ease relegation fears and twice hit back from a goal down to claim a surprise point at Inter Milan on Sunday.

“I told the guys that they are doing well, but we have new pitfalls ahead of us,” Ranieri told a press conference.

“The team is focused, we have to keep the right balance. We have to keep pushing without fear, the salvation fight is very tight. There are no foregone conclusions, you go out there and fight.”

Juventus’ poor run in Serie A extended to just two wins in 11 games as they were held to a disappointing 0-0 draw away at city rivals Torino.

Massimiliano Allegri’s side, who were top of the league when they beat Lecce on January 21 but who now trail leaders Inter Milan by 19 points having played a game more, failed to break down their mid-table opponents as their astonishing collapse in form dragged on into another week.

It was the third game in four in the league in which they have failed to score and leaves them vulnerable to being caught in the race to qualify for the Champions League, with fifth-place Roma able to cut the gap on them to five points should they win their game in hand.

Dusan Vlahovic had Juve’s clearest chances of the first half, first when he knocked Federico Chiesa’s cross against a post, then again when he was foiled by Vanja Milinkovic-Savic in the Torino goal.

The goalkeeper was called on again to deny the visitors, diving at full stretch to keep out a firm low effort from Kenan Yildiz.

Duvan Zapata thought he had given Torino the lead when he crashed the ball home shortly after half-time, only for his effort to be ruled out for a foul committed by Raoul Bellanova against Juve’s Filip Kostic.

Antonio Sanabria rose highest to meet Bellanova’s cross midway through the second half, drawing a good save from Wojciech Szczesny as Torino threatened.

The hosts might have made it a truly disastrous night for Allegri when Karol Linetty’s ball in was turned over the crossbar by Valentino Lazaro, who seemed to make contact with the ball with his neck with the goal gaping.

It concluded a frustrating encounter for Juve, and came in stark contrast to the comfortable 2-0 win they enjoyed in the derby back in October, when the team were in the early stages of what looked a credible title challenge.

It leaves Allegri’s side in a fight to ensure they do not miss out on the Champions League for a second consecutive season.

They still have the possible consolation of the Coppa Italia to aim for, and play the second leg of their semi-final away to Lazio on April 23 looking to defend a 2-0 aggregate lead.

Juventus boss Massimiliano Allegri wants his players to ride an adrenaline wave to Champions League qualification.

The Bianconeri enter their Turin derby against Torino on Saturday sat in third place but knowing that the performance of Serie A sides in Europe this season means that as many as five could qualify for the 2024-25 Champions League.

With the Italian title out of reach – Inter Milan are in pole position – they have focused on securing a return to continental action after being banned for the current campaign for breaching financial fair play regulations.

And Allegri insists only Europe’s top competition will do as he looks to re-establish Juventus on the continent.

“It’s nice to get to this point in the season where the adrenalin is high. It will be an important match for us because the Champions League is fundamental for Juve, both on an image and economic level,” he said.

“We cannot be absent from Europe’s top competition for two years, so now 35 to 40 fundamental days begin in which points are extremely important and in which we must fight for victories in order to reach our objective.

“The Italian teams are doing well in Europe – and not only this season. We must be confident and continue to work to improve. I know we can improve and we work to always do so.

“We want to be in the Champions League next year, it’s a factor that makes all the difference at this club.”

A 1-0 victory over Fiorentina last Sunday came at a crucial time for Juventus following a poor run in Serie A.

It was only their second win in 10 league games, a sequence that included four defeats and has all but ended their title hopes.

“Winning helps and it was important to win against Fiorentina, in a hard clash, to get us out of this difficult moment,” Allegri said.

“We must have continuity but Torino will not be an easy opponent because they have their own objectives.”

Juventus kept alive their hopes of silverware this season with a 2-0 first-leg win in their Coppa Italia semi-final against Lazio.

Front two Federico Chiesa and Dusan Vlahovic scored in the early part of the second half to break open a previously underwhelming encounter at the Allianz Stadium in Turin.

The two sides also met in Serie A on Saturday, Lazio winning that game 1-0 with a stoppage-time goal from Adam Marusic, but Massimiliano Allegri’s side successfully turned the tables as he chases a record fifth Coppa Italia as coach to break a tie with Roberto Mancini and Sven-Goran Eriksson.

Lazio lost Mattia Zaccagni to injury just 10 minutes in after he was caught by Federico Gatti – and were grateful things did not get worse even before substitute Gustav Isaksen was able to enter the pitch.

Matias Vecino was harshly penalised after catching Andrea Cambiaso in his own area, the Juventus player leaping across him as he cleared the ball, but VAR overruled the penalty decision due to Cambiaso being offside when Vlahovic headed towards goal.

Isaksen saw one long-range effort blocked and another deflected behind by Danilo for a corner and Felipe Anderson ripped a 25-yard drive well over.

Cambiaso failed to control a deft return ball from Chiesa, costing Juve one of their few clear sights of goal in the first half, and they will be without defender Gatti for April 23’s return leg due to suspension after he was booked for a foul on Isaksen.

Luis Alberto headed Patric’s cross against the bar, with keeper Mattia Perin a touch uncertain under the looping ball, and Adrien Rabiot’s powerful 20-yard volley was straight at Christos Mandas in the Lazio goal as the half ended scoreless.

Nicolo Casale replaced Patric at half-time but the visitors soon fell behind when Manuel Locatelli did well to keep the ball alive and Cambiaso’s brilliant long pass cut the Lazio midfield and defence out of the game for Chiesa to finish clinically.

Locatelli blasted just wide after a rapid break, though a free-kick was given against Chiesa in any case, but Vlahovic soon made it 2-0 after turning Casale inside out.

Gatti headed just wide from Filip Kostic’s corner, conceded by Casale’s excellent tackle as Chiesa appealed in vain for a penalty, before Lazio boss Igor Tudor sought to change things with the introductions of Taty Castellanos and Daichi Kamada.

Juve substitutes Kenan Yildiz and Timothy Weah combined with Vlahovic to create a chance that was snuffed out by Mandas and Yildiz fired an ambitious effort well wide in the closing stages.