Thiago Motta's quiet revolution

Welcome to Calcio Square, an email newsletter dedicated to Serie A and Italian football. Every Monday, Anthony Lopopolo breaks down the week that was in the Italian game. Thiago Motta's Juventus is the focus of this week's edition. Today's read is about six minutes long.

Thiago Motta was never going to bring rock and roll to Juventus. Make them competitive, yes. Give them an identity, absolutely. But his time at Bologna revealed to us the core tenets of his coaching philosophy: control, steady build-up play, and quick transitions. He has brought the same vision to Juventus, even if watching them isn't always the most enjoyable thing to do on the weekend.

Maybe Motta's game plan feels refreshing and exciting compared to the lifeless football Massimiliano Allegri oversaw in his final year as manager there. Allegri tested even the most patient fans with some of the most boring sideways action you'll ever see on a pitch. Motta's Juventus at least plays with a sense of purpose, and it seems as though the players have free will when they break into the final third. Or else you wouldn't see Dusan Vlahovic turning pot shots into incredible goals or Pierre Kalulu driving from defense into penalty-winning situations. Motta doesn't hold back his players like Allegri did.

That doesn't mean Juventus are suddenly appointment viewing. Despite hoarding a league-high 63.3% possession, they've spent as much time in the opposition third as last-place Venezia. They're also in the bottom half of the Serie A table in shots attempted through eight matches.

But they've conceded just one goal while limiting chances to a bare minimum. Goalkeepers Michele Di Gregorio and Mattia Perin have only faced 10 shots. Motta clearly sees possession as a form of defense, robbing opponents of the oxygen of open play to get them to surrender. It's football's version of a rear naked choke hold.

Motta's usual 11 may not look as impressive as some of Juventus' title-winning lineups, but they sacrifice themselves and work well in a system. Andrea Cambiaso has emerged as his most useful soldier, playing all along the right with incredible consistency.

There's a lot to like about this team. It's not built to win popularity contests, and that's OK. Because it's built to win.

Key observations 👀

Developing storylines that deserve your attention.

• Nico Paz is the real deal. Como's summer signing from Real Madrid has made an immediate impact in Serie A. He's a classic No. 10 with a weapon of a left foot and an appetite to take on defenders. He set up Lionel Messi in his first appearance for Argentina last week and scored his first Serie A goal for Como in Saturday's 1-1 draw with Parma. Now it's about handling expectations. Paz is only 20, and Como, while ambitious, could find themselves in a relegation battle at some point. His through balls and passing can sometimes carry risk. Hopefully results don't turn and discourage Paz from being the creative spark he is.
• Mateo Retegui's hot streak continues. Retegui leads all Serie A scorers with eight goals, including the technically brilliant lob he executed in Atalanta's 2-0 win over Venezia on Sunday. He has replicated his form for Italy, too, scoring in each of its Nations League matches during the international break. But what sets Retegui apart, for me at least, is his hold-up play. He's almost impossible to knock off the ball and an absolute totem poll with his back to goal. He's got a sixth sense in the penalty area, knowing exactly where he has to put the ball without even looking. It's that confidence that Italy has long been missing in a center-forward.
• Cagliari are turning things around. For once, Cagliari's now-famous mascot, Pully the pink flamingo, could celebrate in front of his fans. The Sardinians finally won their first home match of the Serie A season on Sunday, beating Torino 3-2 after blowing an early 1-0 lead. Suddenly, Cagliari are unbeaten in four games, reversing the shame of the five preceding fixtures, during which they time scored just once and suffered the wrath of angry supporters.

Other things you should know 🔎

News stories that went under the radar.

1. Raphael Varane will mentor young players at Como and help prepare them for "life beyond football" in his new role as a board member for the club. Varane took the job just weeks after retiring at 31 due to injury.
2. Former Inter president Steven Zhang shared an image of himself alongside singer Rihanna at an undisclosed location, sparking rumors of a surprising romantic linkup. Zhang lost control of Inter in May after failing to repay a €395-million loan to U.S. firm Oaktree.
3. Mario Balotelli is reportedly in talks with Genoa after publicly stating his intention to play in Serie A again. A deal has been in the works for a while, but it could collapse if the club decides to fire head coach Alberto Gilardino, who's primarily pushing for Balotelli.

Reader Mailbag 📬

The best stories and comments from the community.

Every Monday, I aim to share the best stories and comments from you, the readers who make this newsletter worthwhile. Our first entry comes from Tanay Ghosh, a subscriber and AC Milan fan from the U.K. who recently vacationed in Montenegro. There, in the capital Podgorica, he stumbled upon a nondescript restaurant and learned the owner once coached former Milan midfielder Dejan Savicevic. The manager also revealed that Savicevic grew up just a block away.

Milan's Montenegrin connection remains strong more than 25 years after Savicevic played his last match for the club. Tanay said the owner of his B&B was a Milan fan, as was his taxi driver. He also encountered a number of fans wearing Milan jerseys out and about.

"In moments like these, in unfamiliar territory, you feel the scale of the club's impact," Tanay told me.

Parting shot 💥

Final remarks about the state of Serie A.

I don't want to talk about referees. Who really wants to do that? But Serie A officials seem to try their hardest to make themselves the protagonists.

Referee Daniele Chiffi made headlines after sending off Tijjani Reijnders for denying a clear goal-scoring opportunity during Milan's 1-0 win over Udinese on Saturday. Replay showed Reijnders running in virtually a straight line as Udinese's Sandi Lovric closed in on the loose ball. As Lovric made a sudden last-minute change in movement, he clipped his own heels and went down, drawing the red from Chiffi.

The VAR decided there wasn't enough evidence to overturn Chiffi's original call. Had Chiffi not sent off Reijnders, it's unlikely the VAR would've recommended any action at all.

After seeing multiple angles, I couldn't say for certain that Reijnders had made any contact with Lovric. How could Chiffi make such a close call while trailing the play by nearly 20 yards? The only reason he would've had the conviction to do that was because Lovric tripped over himself. No amount of slight contact would've made him fall as hard.

It's clear to me the referee made the call under false pretenses. Lovric was the one who instigated contact. This is true even if Reijnders made contact. Not all contact is equal, but that seems to be lost in the modern game. Context doesn't seem to matter anymore.

We were supposed to get clarify with the help of video assistants. It has only made the game harder to understand.

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