Thiago Motta Condemns Juventus' Embarrassing Performance After Being Eliminated From The Coppa Italia

Thiago Motta was angry with Juventus' appearance in the Coppa Italia quarter-finals (doc. Juventus).

JAKARTA - Empoli eliminated Juventus from the Coppa Italia quarter-finals with a dramatic 4-2 win on penalties after a 1-1 draw in normal time.

The defeat left the Old Lady's manager, Thiago Motta, ashamed that his troops were taken away by surprise.

Empoli initially took the lead with Youssef Maleh's goal in the first half, while Juventus struggled to pose a serious threat before the break.

This condition prompted Motta to criticize his team's performance and urged his players to take responsibility.

"It's embarrassing. I feel ashamed for what we saw in the first half. I hope my players feel the same way," Motta told a news conference.

"The attitude is embarrassing. Maybe I was wrong because I didn't make the players understand the importance of this match and the importance of wearing a Juventus uniform."

"We made a mistake and that's why we didn't qualify for the semifinals," said the manager.

After Khephren Thuram equalized for Juventus in the second half, the match continued on to a penalty shootout for which Empoli won.

Dusan Vlahovic missed the first penalty. Goalkeeper Empoli, Devis Vasquez, then saved Kenan Yildiz's shot. Luca Marianucci then confirmed Empoli's victory.

"Now we have to start again, give everything in training, give everything for each other and respect the place and history you live in," Motta said while urging his players to refocus.

Empoli, who was promoted in 2021 after winning Serie B, has now advanced to the Coppa Italia semifinals for the first time since the 2006/2007 season. They will face Bologna in April 2025.

Despite never winning in 11 Serie A games in a row and recently suffering a 0-5 defeat against Atalanta, Empoli previously eliminated Fiorentina on penalties in the last 16 of the Coppa Italia, having won 2-1 over Torino in the second half.