Former Lazio coach Maurizio Sarri believes Cristiano Giuntoli and Thiago Motta could do very well together at Juventus. The former Bianconeri boss was speaking with TV dello Sport about a range of topics, not least the Bianconeri’s change in management and his own time at the club:
Giuntoli and Thiago Are Ready for a Cycle
“Giuntoli and Thiago Motta are ready for a cycle because Thiago has ideas and Cristiano is an absolute maestro. He has great ability in choosing players. I think they’ll do very well together.”
Sarri on His Time at Juventus
“I never said Juventus is unmanageable. At that time, the league was taken for granted, and the club was focused on winning the Champions League. We were twelfth in revenue in the Champions League, so it seemed optimistic, though of course, you can still win. Declaring an obligation to win is less understandable.”
Sarri on Allegri’s Dismissal
“Allegri? I’m one of the few who came from the bottom, and I think it’s a quality, but it’s often thrown in my face. You can’t judge a coach’s attitude without experiencing the situations. My comments on Juve were about the club’s mentality that winning a Coppa Italia seemed against their ‘winning is the only thing that matters’ motto. If I’d done like Allegri, would I have been treated harshly? Probably.”
Sarri: “Thiago Motta Should Stay True to Himself”
“I don’t know if Thiago Motta will go to Juventus. He should remain true to himself without bending to the club’s demands. I hope he continues with his football philosophy.”
Sarri on Thiago Motta’s Season
“Thiago Motta had a great season. Bologna is a young and exciting team. Marco Baroni also had an outstanding year at Verona, achieving a difficult salvation.”
Sarri and Fiorentina
“I haven’t proposed myself to Fiorentina. There has never been any negotiation.”
Sarri: “I Want a Project with a Young Team”
“A stimulating project? It means sitting down with someone who proposes something that excites you, and you wouldn’t want them to offer it to someone else. I’d like to work with a fairly young team for a medium to long-term period. Talking about young players senselessly isn’t helpful. A strong young player is more stimulating for a coach. I’d like a club that’s not in a hurry but has clear growth ideas.”
“I Communicated My Discontent to the Team”
“There are times when it’s too easy to blame everyone. With the staff, we went through a process to understand our mistakes. When it’s a global situation, the responsibilities are never on one side. We can’t solve other components’ problems, but we can see what we could have done better. Many errors emerge unconsciously. I was disappointed with the summer transfer market, and I conveyed this to the team.”
Sarri on Kamada
“Kamada struggled when he arrived in Italy. In training, he was a good player but clearly had difficulties. I had no doubt that his quality would emerge because he is of good level.”
“The Team Was Flat”
“There was a situation where I struggled to lift them from negative feelings they carried onto the field. It affected players who had been there for several years. I have no doubt about their good faith. Sometimes the team becomes mentally flat, and it needs a strong jolt.”
“Repeating Last Season’s Second Place Was Tough”
“Repeating last season’s second place was very difficult. The result was due to an exceptional season where stronger teams failed. I was happy at Lazio and grateful to a group of players who had an outstanding season. I could have resigned after the second place. I can’t regret a choice made with the heart, not the head. I left a year on my contract because sometimes a decision has to be made.”
“Leaving Lazio Was the Right Decision”
“Lazio? You’re left with mixed feelings. The overall experience was positive; we achieved the best placement of the Lotito era. The disappointment of the last month doesn’t tarnish the achievements of the past three years. The decision was right; the team needed a strong jolt, which I alone had. I felt I couldn’t lift the more experienced players from a general flatness leading to dull matches.”
Sarri: “Reflecting to Start Over”
“This is my refuge for daily things. Here, we reflect, study, plan, always trying to restart from where we made mistakes.”
