Given his success with the likes of Barcelona and Paris St Germain during his playing career, it is no surprise that Thiago Motta is now excelling as a manager with Bologna in Serie A. At just 41 years old, Motta has cut out an impressive managerial career thus far in Italy, and his remarkable period with the Rossoblu is only furthering his reputation.
Top Four Challengers?
Given that Bologna had become known as a bottom-half-of-the-table team since returning to Serie A in 2015, it is a testament to the influence that Thiago Motta has had that the team now find themselves popular in online football betting and battling it out towards the top of the league.
In his first season at the club, Motta managed a surprising top-half finish in ninth, but not many would have predicted what would happen at the Stadio Renato Dall’Ara in this 2023-24 campaign. Bologna have suffered just four defeats in Serie A and are currently battling for a European placement, two points below fourth-placed Fiorentina.
The Motta Factor
So what exactly has Motta brought to Bologna, and how is he getting his team to outperform all expectations?
Motta’s fluid style of football is not for everyone and leaves fans on the edge of their seats in more ways than one. Offensively, the fluid movement of all the players on the pitch can lead to some impressive football, but defensively, it leaves the team wide open for teams to counterattack.
It has led to plenty of goals going in at both ends of the pitch, but Motta has assembled a squad of players who understand what their manager wants and know how to implement it on the pitch. It is a style of play not utilized by many other managers in Europe, but thankfully, for Bologna’s fanatic supporters, it is working well at their club.
Key Players
Of course, a manager can have a huge effect on the fortunes of a club, but ultimately it boils down to the players on the field. Thankfully for Motta, some of his key players have been playing at the top of their game.
Sam Beukema
Surely, a surprise key player this season has been Dutch centre-back, Sam Beukema. A €10m signing from AZ Alkmaar in the summer, Beukema has settled into life in Serie A with consummate ease and has led the Bolognian defence with strength and courage throughout.
Remo Freuler
Another summer arrival that has had a big influence at Bologna this season is Swiss midfielder Remo Freuler. With his younger teammates blazing a trail further up the pitch, Freuler, who joined on an initial loan deal from Nottingham Forest, is more than happy to sit back and do the dirty work.
A defensive midfielder similar to what his current manager used to be, Freuler’s experience has been a key part of Bologna’s continued success in the league.
Nikola Moro
Everyone is talking about Joshua Zirkzee and Lewis Ferguson, but another player who must be considered a bargain buy is the Croatian Nikola Moro, who was signed permanently last summer but has been exceptional since making an initial move from Dynamo Moskow in 2022. Overall, Bologna only paid €4m to secure the signature of the 25-year-old. The once-capped Croatian international has struck up a powerful partnership with Freuler in midfield, and the pair have dominated games against much bigger names all season.