Top facts about Thiago Motta, the Brazilian coach

Thiago Motta (born August 28, 1982) is a Brazilian football manager and former player who is now the manager of Serie A team

.

Thiago Motta’s age

is 39. Here you can find out the most important facts about Thiago Motta, the former player.

The first fact about

is that he is a midfielder who began his professional career at Barcelona, where he was plagued by injuries.

He spent two and a half seasons at Inter Milan before joining Paris Saint-Germain in January 2012, during which time he amassed a total of 27 major championships with all of his previous teams. Motta has previously played for Atlético Madrid in Spain and Genoa in Italy, where he spent short periods.

Motta was born in Brazil, but he also has dual Italian and Brazilian citizenship. After making two appearances for his country of birth in 2003, he has played a total of 30 times with the latter national team since making his debut in 2011.

Following his retirement in 2018, he volunteered as a youth coach at Paris Saint-Germain. His appointment as Genoa's new manager was announced in October of this year, and he was sacked in December as a consequence of a poor run of results.

Top facts about Thiago Motta:

An important fact about Thiago Motta is that he has scored one goal in that time. He represented Italy in the 2014 World Cup as well as two European Championships, finishing second at Euro 2012 and third at Euro 2016.

Thiago Motta early life

Thiago Motta was born in the Brazilian city of Sao Bernardo do Campo on August 28, 1982. Speaking about

Thiago Motta’s parents

, it should be mentioned that Carlos Roberto Motta is his father. His mother and siblings have not been identified.

Regarding

Thiago Motta’s childhood

, it is worth mentioning that he was born in Brazil, but he is also an Italian citizen. His academic background is unknown at this time. Thiago Motta began playing professional football at the age of 17.

Thiago Motta personal life

Thiago Motta is a married man in his personal life. With his wife Francisca Motta, he has a lovely marriage. Sophia Motta, the couple's gorgeous daughter, was born to the pair. He and his family are now residing in Paris.

Thiago Motta professional career

Motta enjoyed great success under Mourinho, and in 2010, he helped the Italian giants win Serie A, the Champions League, and Coppa Italia.

"Mourinho is the strongest coach I have known. He has been fabulous," Motta told.

Thiago Motta playing career

A notable fact about Thiago Motta is that he was born in So Bernardo do Campo, Sao Paulo, and joined FC Barcelona from his hometown club, Clube Atlético Juventus, when he was seventeen years old.

Barcelona

An important fact about Thiago Motta is that he was originally allocated to the club's B-side. He ultimately made his way up to the first squad in 2001, making his official debut on 3 October against RCD Mallorca in a 3–0 victory at the Santiago Bernabeu.

Motta made seven appearances for his club during the 2001–02 season of the UEFA Champions League, helping them reach the semi-finals of the competition. As Barça finished sixth in the 2002–03 La Liga season, he played in a career-high 21 games (scoring three goals).

He also played a key role in the club's long UEFA Cup run, which was eventually ended by

; in the first leg, a 0–1 loss in Glasgow (0–1 on aggregate), he was sent off during half-time after yelling at the opposing goalkeeper Robert Douglas, who was also shown the red card, in an incident.

During his tenure at Barcelona, Motta was also plagued by a number of injuries, the most serious of which occurred on September 11, 2004 against

and kept him out for seven months. However, he recovered quickly and made an emotional return to the field on April 17, when the eventual league champions defeated Getafe CF 2–0.

A notable fact about Thiago Motta is that he would eventually require surgery to reconstruct the anterior cruciate and medial ligaments in his left knee, but he was able to recover quickly and return to the field to rousing applause.

Atlético Madrid

An important

fact about Thiago Motta

is that he agreed to a one-year deal with

in late August 2007 for an unknown sum.

He missed the start of the season due to an injury, and he was expelled from the Colchoneros' Copa del Rey quarter-final encounter against Valencia CF after just 25 minutes, resulting in a 0–1 defeat on the road and a 0–1 defeat in the tie.

Motta's possibilities improved as a result of the injury to regular starter Ral Garca and the departure of Maniche in January 2008. He was released from the club in March because the repeated knee issues returned.

Following a successful surgery and recuperation in the United States, he trialed with Premier League side Portsmouth after his release, but did not sign a contract with them.

Genoa

After clearing a physical examination, Motta was granted a free move to Genoa C.F.C. in September 2008. When he made his professional debut, he put up a constant effort and was a regular in the starting eleven under coach Gian Piero Gasperini's guidance.

A 3–2 home win against Juventus FC was secured on April 11, 2009, when Motta scored two goals (one of which came in injury time during the first half). After scoring a career-high six goals in the last month of the season, his side qualified for the Europa League.

Inter Milan

According to La Gazzetta dello Sport, Motta, along with colleague Diego Milito, went to

, who paid €28 million for the latter player and €10.2 million for the former on May 20, 2009.

The agreement also included the acquisition of five Inter players, namely Robert Acquafresca, Francesco Bolzoni, Leonardo Bonucci, Ivan Fati and Riccardo Meggiorini, by Genoa. It was subsequently discovered that the Genoa contract that Motta signed had a €10 million buy-out clause, according to Motta's agent, Dario Canovi.

An important fact about Thiago Motta is that he made his debut in the 2009–10 season's opening game, a 1–1 home draw against A.S. Bari, and his first goal came the following round, when he scored after an assist from Milito in the 4–0 defeat of

in the Derby della Madonnina, to give his team the lead.

In a 3–0 victory against Bologna F.C. 1909 on 3 April 2010, after being in and out of the lineup during the season, he scored his first two goals for the club.

Motta also participated in eight games during the team's successful Champions League campaign, including the 0–1 defeat at the hands of previous club Barcelona in the semi-finals (3–2 victory on aggregate).

That evening, he was sent off for allegedly punching Sergio Busquets in the face with his hand; the incident drew widespread attention owing to Busquets' apparent faking of injury.

After Wesley Sneijder's corner kick was deflected into the goalmouth, Motta headed in the winning goal in Inter's 1–0 victory against A.C. ChievoVerona on October 23, 2011. The win was Inter's first at home this season.

Paris Saint-Germain

In spite of Inter manager Claudio Ranieri stating just a few days before that he was confident the player would remain with the club until the end of the season and having called him to the club's upcoming league match against U.S. Città di Palermo, Motta signed with

in France for an undisclosed fee believed to be in the region of €10 million on January 31, 2012.

Following his departure, he revealed that he had dreamed of playing for the club ever since fellow Brazilians such as Rafa, Leonardo, and Ronaldinho shone in the French capital; he also revealed that he was dissatisfied with his situation at Inter, refusing to elaborate on his reasons for leaving the club further.

A notable

fact about Thiago Motta

is that he made his PSG debut against Evian Thonon Gaillard F.C. in a 3–1 home victory, four days after signing a contract with the club. He was booked in the process.

On April 22, 2012, he scored his first Ligue 1 goal in a home match against FC Sochaux-Montbéliard, helping his team to a 6–1 victory. Motta's contract was extended until June 2016 on February 21, 2014, when he was 31 years old.

A headbutt by SC Bastia's Brando in the tunnel left him with a fractured nose, and his opponent was later banned for six months as a result of the incident. Motta announced his retirement for the remainder of the season on May 8, 2018, and he was also named as the new coach of PSG's under-19 team the following day.

While at the Parc des Princes for six and a half years, he appeared in 232 competitive matches and won 19 trophies. He made his last appearance on May 19 against Stade Malherbe Caen, which marked the end of his career.

Brandao, the Bastia striker, headbutted Thiago Motta at the end of a French league match in 2014. After Bastia's 2-0 loss to PSG, Brandao waited for Thiago Motta in the tunnel and headbutted the midfielder, leaving him with blood running down from his nose.

Thiago Motta international career

Brazil Motta made his international debut for his country at the 2003 CONCACAF Gold Cup. The fact that he played for the under-23 team did not detract from the fact that it was an international competition, and the international cap he earned as a result was fully recognized by FIFA.

A notable fact about Thiago Motta is that he went on to play in two more games during the tournament, and had previously represented his country at the 1999 South American Under-17 Championship.

Motta was unable to compete in the 2004 CONMEBOL Men's Pre-Olympic Tournament due to injury, although he did make his debut for the under-23 squad against Santos FC in November 2003.

Following that, there were rumors that he wished to be called up to the Italian national team and maybe to the 2010 FIFA World Cup in South Africa since he held dual nationality - his paternal grandfather was of Italian descent. In the early 1900s, his great-grandfather, Fortunato Fogagnolo, left Polesella for South America with a small group of friends.

If a player has dual nationality, FIFA allows them to change their representing country once. However, players who have previously competed in a competitive "A" match are not allowed to change their representing nation (non-friendly).

An important

fact about Thiago Motta

is that he was called up to the Italian national team for the first time on February 6, 2011, for a friendly against Germany. However, an official announcement from the Italian Football Federation said that the call-up was subject to FIFA permission, which was given two days later. He made his professional debut in the match, coming in to replace Alberto Aquilani in the 63rd minute of the 1–1 tie.

Motta scored the game's lone goal in his second international appearance, a UEFA Euro 2012 qualifier against Slovenia on March 25, 2011. The goal came after a 73rd-minute combination with Federico Balzaretti.

Having been selected to the finals in Poland and Ukraine, where he started in three group stage matches for the Azzurri and came on as a substitute in two more, against Germany in the semi-finals (2–1 win) and Spain in the final, he suffered a hamstring injury after only five minutes and had to be carried off, leaving his team with ten players because he was the third and final player allowed to be brought on.

In a 30-man preliminary squad for the 2014 FIFA World Cup announced on May 13, Motta was included, and he was also included to the final roster. He made his tournament debut at the age of almost 32, coming on in the 57th minute of the 2–1 triumph against England in the group stage. He was the youngest player to compete in the tournament.

A notable fact about Thiago Motta is that he was nominated to

's 23-man Italy team for Euro 2016, and was given the number 10 jersey, which he wore until the end of the tournament.

When the manager decided to give him that number, it caused a commotion, however international teammate Daniele De Rossi subsequently supported the choice, stating, "Those who have made light of the situation just do not understand football.

Thiago Motta will just toss the ball about a little, and you will be able to rinse your mouth out afterwards. He may not be a No. 10 like [Roberto] Baggio or [Francesco] Totti, but he is a master in terms of technical ability."

He was banned for the quarter-final match against Germany after getting booked for the second time in the tournament in the previous round against Spain. He had been suspended for the previous round.

Thiago Motta style of play

A notable fact about Thiago Motta is that he was a combative midfielder who was often used as a defensive or central midfielder, but his tactical knowledge and mobility allowed him to play in a variety of other midfield positions as well.

Under Prandelli, he was sometimes used as a deep-lying playmaker or an offensive midfielder for the Italian national team, owing to his ability to dictate the pace of his side's play in midfield with his passing. At Euro 2012, he took up the position of false attacking midfielder in Prandelli's 4–3–1–2 system, which was a first for him.

While his ball control, technique, vision, and throwing range were among his most notable characteristics, Motta was also acclaimed for his tackling, ability to read the game, and consistency as a ball winner on the defensive end of the field.

Although he excelled in the air because to his physical strength, heading accuracy, and ability to make late offensive runs into the penalty area, he was also criticized for his aggressiveness on the field and lack of speed.

Thiago Motta coaching career

Motta was appointed as the new coach of Paris Saint-under-19 Germain's team, after his retirement from professional football in May 2018.

His desire to revolutionize football was expressed in an interview with the Italian newspaper La Gazzetta dello Sport in November of that year, in which he indicated that he wished to do it by using a configuration that may be construed as a 2–7–2, commenting:

"My plan is to take an attacking approach. A small squad that dominates the game, intense pressure, and a lot of movement both with and without the ball are all characteristics of this club. I want the person who is in possession of the ball to always have three or four options and two teammates around to provide assistance.”

“In football, the challenge is not always in doing things easily, but in controlling the base, passing, and getting free. I don't like the numbers in the field since they are deceiving and misleading.

With a 5–3–2, you may be very offensive while being defensive with a 4–3–3. When I was younger, I remember participating in a game where the two full-backs ended up playing as the 9 and 10.”

“However, this does not imply that I dislike guys like Samuel and Chiellini, who are natural-born defenders. Is it possible that it's a 2–7–2? No, the goalie is considered to be a member of the middle seven.

My personal preference is that the attacker serves as the first defense and the goalie serves as the first attacker. Initially, the goalkeeper initiates the action with his feet, and the attackers are the ones who apply the most pressure to retrieve the ball."

Motta began taking UEFA Pro Licence studies at the Centro Tecnico Federale di Coverciano in August of this year, and would graduate in May.

Genoa

On October 21, his previous club Genoa, who was at the time in the second-to-last place in the Italian premier division, announced his selection as the club's new manager, taking over for the recently sacked Aurelio Andreazzoli, who had been in charge since 2011.

Within five days of taking over, he guided the squad to a 3–1 victory against Brescia Calcio in their first official match under his leadership. On the other hand, with the team in last position, he was sacked on the 28th of December. Mottia obtained his UEFA Professional Licence on the 16th of September in the year 2020.

Spezia

Maurizio Motta was hired as the head coach of Spezia on July 5, 2021.

Thiago Motta and 2-7-2

"Can you tell me how you'd want to line up the lads, gaffer? Put 'em in a 4-4-2 formation." That was the most common kind of conversation between the coaches in the early 1900s. The formation, which serves as the team's spine, has changed over time from a W-M formation to a 4-4-2 configuration to a 3-4-3 formation to a 4-3-3/4-2-3-1 structure.

Many teams use the 5-3-2/3-5-2 formation to exert midfield control, and many of these teams are successful. The comments made in a 2018 interview with La Gazzetta dello Sport, however, led to a flurry of conjecture in the media when Thiago Motta's 2-7-2 system was presented.

"My intention is to play aggressively," Motta said. A short (compact) squad that exerts control over the game, as well as intense pressure and a great deal of movement both with the ball and without it. I want the person who is in possession of the ball to always have three or four options and two teammates around to provide assistance.”

“In football, the challenge is not always in doing things easily, but in controlling the base, passing, and getting free. I don't like the numbers in the field since they are deceiving and misleading. A 5-3-2 may be very attacking whereas a 4-3-3 can be quite defensive. The goalie is considered to be a member of the middle seven.”

“My personal preference is that the attacker serves as the first defense and the goalie serves as the first attacker. The goalkeeper initiates the action with his feet, and the attackers are the first to apply pressure in an attempt to retrieve the ball.”

Because it was seen as cheap news by some media sites, the statement about the goalie being a member of the midfield was criticized on social media, with many people not understanding what was meant by it at all. So, what is the concept of 2-7-2 in its most basic form? Let's take a closer look at this.

A 2-7-2 is essentially a 4-3-3 that may be seen from the left to the right or the other way around. The goaltender rises higher than the defensive line, which is a ludacris and wildly erroneous interpretation of Motta's notion, to say the least.

Getting back to the point where he said that the goalie is the first attacker, this means that the goalkeeper initiates the move by playing the ball out from behind the defense.

Consequently, the goalkeeper must have excellent passing skills, a notion that was inspired by

's squads, which included players such as Valdez, Neuer, and now Ederson, all of whom were very talented with their feet.

This allows the two center backs to press farther up the pitch, resulting in the team being more packed in the midfield area, with no gap between the lines between the lines. Along with the midfield three, the fullbacks may also push up or slide into the middle, providing the team a numerical advantage.

Forwards are the first line of defense because they are the first to apply pressure high up the field, resulting in a speedy turnover of possession for the opposing team.

With two blocks of two and a middle seven, the squad swings back and forth like a pendulum. The concept of football is to make advantage of available space, or to create space if one does not already exist.

Now, how might this formation generate space against teams who like to sit deep in their defensive positions? The movement of the pendulum comes into play at this point. Mid-seven may be shifted to one side of the field, which can result in a tremendous overload on one side of the field. As a result, the opponent must also shift his or her focus in that way.

With the help of intelligent midfielders, the ball may now be rapidly shifted to the opposite side, where another block of two players is waiting. Because the other team has shifted to one side, they now have lots of area to work with.

When those two are wreaking havoc, the opposing team must move swiftly to the other side, which is a difficult feat in itself and causes fission inside their system, as shown in the video below. Motta also said that his team would be mobile, which will provide a great deal of difficulty for the opposition's marking system due to the rapid movements of his team.

Fullbacks in an advanced position, the two defenders spread wide to cover the fullbacks' flanks. The central defensive midfielder (CDM) of the 3 in 4-3-3 is pushed back. As a result, when the goalie begins to play from the back, the opposing press is invited in.

With the three players around the goalkeeper, they may play the ball amongst themselves, with the option to kick it long through the goalkeeper in wide areas to get beyond the press trap. The numerical dominance of the home team in the final third confuses the opposition.

The fact that a long kick from the keeper is intercepted does not mean that Motta's side does not have enough people upfield to push for the ball and win it back. As a result, the concept of aggressive pressing and possession-based movements are the primary elements of the 2-7-2 formation, with players positioned in tiny triangles across the pitch.

Motta used this approach with great success with the PSG junior squad before joining Serie A club Genoa in October of this year. His managing debut in Italy was far from impressive, but with a squad of genuine talent, his management style has the potential to pay off handsomely. Having said that, Thiago Motta's 2-7-2 configuration, which has been widely misunderstood, might be the structure of the future in football.

Thiago Motta did not design a new line-up, and his tactics do not feature seven midfielders. Contrary to popular belief, his techniques are read horizontally rather than vertically. His tactics, rather than depicting Defense-Midfield-Attack, may be interpreted as Left-Center-Right or Right-Center-Left.

To put it another way, if we read it vertically, his configuration is a 4-3-3. There is no such thing as a 7-man midfield line-up. If you haven't figured it out yet, 2+7+2 equals 11. As a result, the goalie is truly counted since he is such an important part of Motta's strategy.

In Motta's tactics, the Keeper participates in the build-up and even moves beyond his zone to land between the two defenders. Even when the opponent is pushing high, the keeper enables the holding midfielder and fullbacks to play higher.

Because the keeper is sandwiched between the defenders, they may drop further and draw the opposition's pressing higher up the pitch, allowing space behind them for the midfielders and fullbacks to exploit.

In a typical 4-3-3, the holding midfielder, on the other hand, would be responsible for dropping back. As a consequence, he would abandon his area and allow the opposing defense to push higher, forcing the defense to play risky long balls or risky short passes in the defense.

This throws the team's balance off and gives the enemy much too much room. When the keeper takes the field, no one is waiting to take advantage of the gap he creates.

On the opposite end of the field, Motta wants his striker to provide constant pressure and compel the opponent to drop back, allowing the team to take advantage of space. Motta wants his striker to bring the ball back higher up the field and create danger on their own or with the help of one of the four supporting players if they fail to respond (both CAMs and Wingers).

The midfield is set up in such a way that it suffocates the opposing defense and covers a lot of ground. When pressure is exerted correctly, it often results in the opponent losing the ball in hazardous situations.

First and foremost, Motta's tactics need a goalkeeper who is more than simply proficient with the ball at his feet. Aside from that, the keeper must have excellent eyesight and make flawless decisions.

The foundation of this structure is based on the notion of building from the rear. It emphasizes on maintaining the ball and moving it about in defense to draw the opponent and catch them off guard.

Another need for this to function is a high degree of athleticism and calmness. The strategies need a great deal of mobility and space seeking, which necessitates a lot of energy and strength.

Last but not least, a capable striker with tackling and pressing skills. He must be fast and annoy opposing defenders; he must be a hardworking player who will take advantage of even the smallest of chances.

Thiago Motta awards and achievements

He scored 9 goals for FCB, 6 goals for Genoa, 12 goals for Inter Milan, and 12 goals for PSG over his whole club career. In all, he made 489 appearances and scored 39 goals. When it comes to Thiago's international career, he has only scored one goal in 30 appearances for Italy.

He earned the Don Balon Award for Breakthrough Player of the Year in La Liga in 2003.

has won this accolade the most times, with eight.

Thiago Motta won a league 1 championship with Paris Saint-Germain in 2013 with David Beckham, a football superstar. Thiago Motta works with Zlatan Ibrahimovic, a well-known Swedish player, and Marco Verratti, a well-known Italian footballer.

Thiago Motta social media

Regarding

Thiago Motta social media

, it should be mentioned that he does not have any official pages on any social media platforms.

Thiago Motta body measurements

Speaking about

Thiago Motta body measurements

, it should be mentioned that the coach is 187 cm and 83 kg.

Thiago Motta net worth and salary

Thiago Motta is a well-known football player who gained a lot of money throughout his career.

Thiago Motta’s net worth

is believed to be 7.48 million Euros.

Thiago Motta, a former football player, also makes a decent living through different sponsorships. He is a Nike endorser, and even after retirement, he earns roughly $2.5 million per year.

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