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Liverpool eyeing 41-year-old Fabio Capello suggested is like Jurgen Klopp
Liverpool and FSG have been busy overhauling their backroom setup in recent months, following the shock news that Jurgen Klopp will be leaving Anfield in the summer.
FSG have appointed Michael Edwards as their new CEO of Football, who in turn has secured the signature of Richard Hughes as the new Liverpool new sporting director as of this summer.
However, the biggest change – in terms of what the fans will see – will be in the Liverpool dugout, and as things stand, the Reds are still looking for Klopp’s successor.
Xabi Alonso was said to be high up on the Liverpool wish-list, but the Spaniard recently confirmed that he plans to stay on at Bayer Leverkusen for the foreseeable.
With that in mind, the Reds have reportedly switched their attention to the likes of Ruben Amorim and Roberto De Zerbi.
However, a fairly new name has begun doing the rounds on the Liverpool managerial rumour mill, one that Fabio Capello recently praised.
Who are Liverpool reportedly looking at alongside Ruben Amorim and Roberto De Zerbi?
The name in question is Thiago Motta, a young manager who has well and truly been making waves at Bologna this season.
Dean Jones told that the 41-year-old is on the Anfield radar, although he’s a bit of an outsider compared to the likes of Amorim.
“Outside of the two main candidates, he has a very interesting football philosophy that is intriguing to many at Liverpool,” said Jones. “Bologna play with a fluidity that is very rare.
“One thing that is important to Liverpool is that they have a football philosophy to follow but also that they play in a way that suits the squad and means they keep evolving.
“It’s important to stress that Motta is an outsider at this moment in time but that he is interesting to them.”
Who is Liverpool manager target Thiago Motta?
Motta enjoyed a fruitful playing career, winning numerous titles – including two Champions Leagues – with the likes of Barcelona, Inter Milan and Paris Saint-Germain.
The Italo-Brazilian began his coaching career with PSG’s Under-19s, before obtaining the UEFA Pro Licence in September 2020 and taking the Genoa reins a month later.
Motta’s spell with the Grifone didn’t go to plan and he was sacked in December, but he did much better at Spezia, taking the reins in July 2021 helping the struggling club survive relegation in 2021/22.
The 41-year-old then became manager of Bologna in September 2022, guiding them to a ninth-placed finish that season and building the foundations for an impressive 2023/24 campaign.
The Rossoblu currently sit fourth in Serie A, five points clear of fifth-placed Roma with eight games left to play, and edging closer to Champions League qualification.
recently described Motta’s style of play as ‘fluid and free-flow’, giving his teams ‘creativity and vitality’.
What has Fabio Capello said about Liverpool target Thiago Motta?
Capello lauded Motta’s ‘Spanish influence’, something he believes is present in all of the best current coaches including Klopp.
He wrote in earlier this year: “The ball possession is not sterile but is used to go forward. Bologna players are not controlled as they were in a video game.
“Thiago Motta wants his players to have courage in all areas of the pitch and they take responsibility. It’s exactly what he used to do when he was in the middle of the boxing ring.
“Being a former midfielder does not guarantee success, but it often helps. Think about Pep Guardiola or Xabi Alonso.
“Thiago grew up at Barcelona, and the Spanish influence is evident in his playing style. The La Liga influence is dominant everywhere except here.
The former England manager continued: “Jurgen Klopp (Liverpool) is followed by Mikel Arteta (Arsenal), Pep Guardiola (Manchester City) and Unai Emery (Aston Villa) in the Premier League.
“In Germany, Xabi Alonso (Bayer Leverkusen) is the runaway leader. In France, there is Luis Enrique (Paris Saint-Germain), while Carlo Ancelotti (Real Madrid) is ahead of everyone else in Spain.
“Motta was coached by Ancelotti, but also Mourinho (Inter) and Gasperini (Genoa). He has taken something from all his teachers and re-elaborated it.
“From Ancelotti’s philosophy to Gasp’s desire to dominate. And his management is reminiscent of Mourinho.”