Xavi approached by Juventus amid Thiago Motta’s struggles

Reports from France claim Juventus have contacted former Barcelona coach Xavi, although they don’t seem intent on sacking current manager Thiago Motta in the short term despite his side’s struggles in Serie A.

The Bianconeri suffered only their first league defeat last weekend, a 2-1 loss at the Stadio Maradona against leaders Napoli. However, their 13 draws and eight wins from the other 21 matches mean the Italo-Brazilian boss has the third-worst record in Juventus’ history after 22 Serie A rounds.

Juventus held ‘informal talks’ with Xavi, but Motta’s job still safe

While the club didn’t necessarily expect Motta to make a title challenge in his first season at the Allianz Stadium, the team’s disappointing campaign has reportedly prompted the management to explore the market to get a sense of the potential alternatives available.

Specifically, L’Equipe reported that, while Motta’s job is not considered on the line, Juventus have contacted Xavi to hold ‘informal talks’ about his position.

However, the French newspaper pointed out that the Old Lady are not currently considering a change of coach, although they seem willing to gather information and remain prepared for every possible scenario.

The Spaniard has been without a job since leaving Barcelona at the end of last season and was previously linked with a move to Milan before they eventually decided to replace Paulo Fonseca with Sergio Conceição.