Dusan Vlahovic earned Juventus a narrow but crucial win over Cagliari in his first Serie A start since December, and his coach Thiago Motta insisted that the two have an ‘extraordinary relationship’.
The Serbian striker scored an early winner against Davide Nicola’s side, making the most of his opportunity after starting on the bench for seven consecutive games across Serie A and the Champions League.
The signing of Randal Kolo Muani and his devastating impact on Italian football inevitably limited Vlahović’s playing time, allegedly fueling the striker’s discontent and sparking further rumours of a potential exit next summer.
The former Fiorentina forward is under contract with the Bianconeri until 2026, but it is unlikely that the club will allow him to stay without a renewal—negotiations, however, have been stalling so far.
Thiago Motta: Vlahovic has ‘strong mentality and character’ and ‘deserves’ to play
Nonetheless, Motta suggested that Vlahović is benefiting from the competition for a starting place, praising his ‘strong character and mentality’.
“He plays because he deserves it,” Juventus’ manager said at a post-match press conference, as quoted by TMW.
“We have an extraordinary relationship. He has a strong character and mentality. Today, he showed great professionalism and helped his teammates. It’s easy to manage a champion like him.”
Yet he almost cried on the sidelines feeling powerless when Dušan did his thing on the pitch…