After winning nine Serie A titles in a row up until 2019/20, the 'Old Lady' have lost her way and have not won the Scudetto since.
Unfortunately for Motta, he clearly wasn't the man to bring back the glory days and he was sacked nine months after taking the job.
His replacement, Igor Tudor, has steadied the ship, winning three games, drawing one and losing one.
All three victories came at home, whilst the two not won were away from Allianz Stadium.
Juventus are one point and one place above Bologna
Ahead of their next fixture - away at Bologna - Juve find themselves in the final Champions League spot, just one point and one place ahead of the Rossoblu.
Therefore, the stage really is set for one of the most important games of the season for both clubs.
A win would clearly set the victor up nicely for the final few games of the 2024/25 season, but Bologna and Juventus have drawn each of their last four Serie A meetings, with both sides scoring in each of those games.
Were they to share the points again after Sunday evening's fixture, it would be the first time that they've drawn five games in a row in the top flight since between 1978 and 1980.
Ominously for the hosts, Juventus are unbeaten in their last 25 Serie A matches against Bologna (W17 D8), and it’s their longest current streak of consecutive games without a defeat in the competition.
Although Bologna's last win against the Bianconeri in the top flight was back on February 26th, 2011 (2-0, thanks to Marco Di Vaio’s brace), you have to go way back to November 1998 for their last home win vs Juve (3-0 with goals from Michele Paramatti, Giuseppe Signori and Davide Fontolan).
Vincenzo Italiano has made his mark at Bologna
It seems that Vincenzo Italiano's side will have to score at least once on Sunday if they want to get something out of the game given that Juve have done so in the last eight encounters in Emilia.
That certainly isn't beyond them and perhaps it's about time that Italiano's achievements are given the prominence they deserve.
The sky could've fallen in at the Stadio Renato Dall'Ara once Motta left, but Bologna have not only swiftly moved on from his tenure but positively thrived under Italiano's direction.
They are both the team with the most high turnovers in Serie A this season (242) and the side with the most pressed sequences (420).
The 47-year-old likes to see his team on the front foot as much as possible, and this attacking style has already seen them win 21 and draw 16 of their 46 games played to date under him. Nine losses is a better return than any of the seasons Italiano managed at Spezia and Fiorentina.
Although the 66 goals that Bologna have scored this season is the third-lowest total that any of his teams have managed in the last six seasons, the 47 conceded is the second-best defensive return in the same time frame.
Bologna looking to make history
Another victory would see Bologna overtake Juventus in the table with three games to go, which would be significant given that the Rossoblu have never been ahead of the Bianconeri with three games to go in a 20-team Serie A season.
At present Italiano has coached his side to 13 home wins which is just two shy of the 15 he managed at Fiorentina in the 2021/22, 2022/23 and 2023/24 seasons.
It shouldn't really be a surprise then that Bologna are doing so well this season although after the disappointment of Motta leaving, a period of transition will surely have been expected by the supporters.
To that end, the board of the club deserve ample credit for their hire of a manager who has fitted like hand in glove.
Bologna are only two goals worse off in the league than the 54 they scored under Motta last season, and remain just seven points shy of the 68 earned by the former manager in 23/24.
Coppa Italia triumph also offers European possibilities
Even if Champions League qualification escapes Bologna this season, the plain fact of the matter is that there's been no real drop off in terms of results and standard of performance since Motta left the club.
There are three clubs within a point of Bologna ahead of the weekend's fixtures, however; Roma, Lazio and Italiano's former club, Fiorentina.
Being dumped out of the European places altogether is therefore a possibility and one which is likely to exist for a little while yet.
After their test against Juve, Bologna face Milan in the league before a Coppa Italia final against the same opponent five days later. Then a penultimate match of the season at Fiorentina is followed by a final-day fixture against Genoa.
With everything still to play for - and a potential Europa League spot up for grabs in any event if the cup is won - if nothing else, Vincenzo Italiano deserves the trust and respect of Bologna's supporters amidst a collective belief that they are still going places.
