Juventus backing Motta despite Fiorentina defeat, says chief Giuntoli
Juventus fell to a second consecutive heavy defeat in Serie A as they missed out on the chance to move into the Champions League spots.
Juventus' football director, Cristiano Giuntoli, said that the club are keeping the faith with Thiago Motta despite a second successive heavy defeat on Sunday.
After being hammered 4-0 at home by Atalanta last weekend, Motta watched on as his side were beaten 3-0 by Fiorentina to leave them fifth in the Serie A standings.
Quickfire goals from Robin Gosens and Rolando Mandragora in the first half put Fiorentina in control before Albert Gudmundsson sealed the win after the interval.
Indeed, Juventus have lost two consecutive Serie A matches by at least three goals for only the third time in their history, after January 2011 under Luigi Delneri and March 1957, with Sandro Puppo in the dugout.
"In these moments, we must all stay united, we all come out of difficulties together," Giuntoli told Sky Sports.
"We are very sorry, we have had a year with ups and downs, but we had never played two games so below par, but we are convinced we can come out of this all together."
When asked if this meant continuing with Motta in charge, Giuntoli had no doubts: "Certainly," he said.
"We started from a project in which we counted on having difficulties, lowering salaries and everything else. We must think about nothing but our primary goal, which is to qualify for the Champions League."
Giuntoli is not getting carried away after two bad performances, just as the club did not when they began the season with consecutive 3-0 wins over Como and Verona.
"We try to analyse in a lucid way what has happened in recent weeks. Let's not forget that the media, after Verona, had us as a potential winner of the league," Giuntoli said.
"We need balance, we cannot go from the stars to the stables. In the next few days, we will try, with a clear mind, to move forward.
"We have to have balance, on and off the pitch. Until two games ago, the team had the best defence in the league, conceding four or three goals means that we have lost balance."
Juventus struggled to create chances of note against Fiorentina, with just two of their 11 attempts testing David de Gea in Fiorentina's goal.
Not since last September (against Napoli and Genoa in that case) have Juventus finished the first half in two consecutive Serie A matches without a shot on target (vs Atalanta and Fiorentina).
Despite the difficulties in his first season at the club, Motta was adamant he will not throw in the towel, with Juve out of the title race, the Champions League and Coppa Italia.
"It would be too easy to do it. I don't like easy things," Motta said when asked about the possibility of resigning.
"We need to win, we have to find a way to get the points we need for our goal, which is to be in the top four of the championship.
"It's a bit like a continuation of the last game, it's the same story. We start well, then at the first difficulty, like against Atalanta, we were unable to react."