Sarri on Premier League Regrets, Juventus Struggles & Italy at Euro 2024

Maurizio Sarri continued opening up about everything from his time with Juventus to Italy’s chances at the upcoming European Championship.

Speaking to SportItalia, Sarri discussed how the media would’ve reacted had he did what Massimiliano Allegri did at the recent Coppa Italia final.

I have never been forgiven for anything. Unfortunately, I am part of those few who come from the bottom, and when you reach the top, many want to remind you that you come from the bottom. In my opinion it is a quality, not a flaw to be blamed.

I have often had these feelings, you cannot judge the attitude of a coach. Last night I read something else that left me perplexed. In a club where ‘Winning is the only thing that matters’, they are probably not satisfied with having only won the Coppa Italia.

It is not a criticism of the team, but an observation. It may be that Allegri had a great season, that the team couldn’t do more. They definitely wouldn’t have treated me very well.

But let’s not be a victim: everyone must be aware of how they are treated in the media, and behave accordingly. I’m proud of where I come from.

He remembered his Scudetto win with Juventus.

The fact that Juve cannot be coached in quotes, I never said that. This quote was attributed to me, it must be placed in the context of the club that had won for eight consecutive years.

The Scudetto was taken for granted, the club spread the idea that we had to win the Champions League; in reality in Europe, we were the 12th in turnover, there were eleven teams that spent more.

It seemed a little too optimistic to me. Then the fact that you want to win anyway is undeniable, the fact that you flaunt the obligation outside is less understandable.

The coach touched on where Napoli go next after their difficult season.

They start from a strong team. This year after Inter, Napoli were the technically strongest team. There are seasons like this, you win a title in Naples, the downside afterwards is that everything is amplified.

At Napoli everything is amplified, they found themselves in difficulty and got lost. They’ve not become poor, there are the foundations to rebuild in a strong way.

Sarri was asked about Inter’s management situation with the Oaktree takeover.

I didn’t follow it much. I like going to teams where there is a face as an owner, otherwise you find yourself in situations of this type, with investment funds, which have a single purpose, to resell to make money. The Inter situation seems a bit peculiar to me, but this is what football is becoming.

He spoke about the growth of Simone Inzaghi.

I think they had a great season; last year they reached the Champions League final, they are doing very well, the team are strong. They need to be rejuvenated a bit, it seems to me that they are moving to do so. They have one of the strongest midfields in Europe.

I don’t know if the team will remain this way; if so, they will start one step ahead of the others. Then the seasons don’t always have the right inertia, at the moment they’re one step ahead of everyone.

Sarri was asked if Italian coaches were the best in the world and if Milan would hire a foreign tactician.

Don’t make me answer, otherwise it seems like you’re offering me to Milan! If we’re talking about medium-level coaches, ours are the best of all, but that doesn’t mean good ones can’t come from abroad.

If we talk about medium level, my feeling, also seeing who I faced, is that Italian tacticians are superior to those of other countries. It’s such a generic discussion that it doesn’t deny that there are very strong coaches abroad.

He spoke about Italy’s chances at Euro 2024.

We have a good level team; from here to winning a tournament, not a league, there are 2000 factors. I often laugh when journalists reveal new tactical trends in this type of tournament.

It’s absolute bullsh*t. Are we talking about trends in a 20-day tournament? The physical and mental aspect counts, there is the risk of mental tiredness of our players. Here football is heavier, it’s not easy to get there with a clear head. Our team can be competitive.

He touched on what Spalletti brought to the national team.

Spalletti is bringing enthusiasm, tactical and mental freshness, a sense of belonging, he is working a lot in this sense. I think he’s doing well.

Sarri gave some advice to Roberto De Zerbi.

If I had to advise him one thing, I would tell him to stay in the Premier League. I made that mistake, if I went back, I wouldn’t do that again.

I would’ve stayed at Chelsea, aware that I probably wouldn’t have finished the following year. If he calls me, I’ll tell him to stay there.

He sent a message to the Lazio fans.

They were a positive surprise, a beautiful fanbase. Very often in Italy we have the wrong idea of the fans of Lazio, they are labelled. They are a beautiful people, at the stadium you see parents with their children, immediately addressed when they are very young. Beautiful, surprising fans.

Sarri touched on the recent Scudetto celebrations at Lazio.

Yes, it hurt me not to be there. Maestrelli’s story is imprinted from when I was a kid. This leader with great personality. I would have gladly had the party.

Finally, Sarri was asked if he wanted to send a message to Claudio Lotito.

I had a good time with Claudio, he is a different character from the one he appears publicly. Never any technical interference, which is a huge advantage. I had a good time there. In terms of investments, I would have done decidedly different things.

As I always said to everyone, the club is his, it is also right for him to make the choices. I didn’t agree with this year’s actions, but I felt good.