Lazio coach Maurizio Sarri discussed his year away from football and his time with Juventus and Napoli.
Speaking in an interview with Italian broadcaster Sportitalia (via LazioNews24) last night, the 62-year-old Italian coach first recounted what he’s been up to since his departure from the Bianconeri.
In these quiet days I have been with my family, I have read and watched a lot of games. But above all I’ve seen a lot of bike races. I come from a family of cyclists. This passion was born from that.
I have to say, though, that it didn’t weigh on me too much being away. Empty stadiums made me very sad and I didn’t really want to come back.
He spoke about the reaction to his Scudetto win with Juventus.
Maybe it was taken too much for granted, both inside and outside. It wasn’t even celebrated. Everyone went to dinner on their own. Maybe this would be the right time to go to Juve, as they finished fourth.
However, what happened after eight years of Scudetti can happen. To win you have to do well and sometimes that’s not enough.
The 62-year-old Italian coach touched on if a return to Napoli was ever possible.
There were no conditions. I’ve turned down other offers. Yes, there was an approach, but it wasn’t a real negotiation.
Sarri highlighted the difficulty in managing Bianconeri star Cristiano Ronaldo.
The management of Ronaldo is not easy, also because there are interests behind him.
To tell the truth, I think I’m better at being a coach and not a manager. I find it boring and I enjoy it more on the pitch.
Finally, Sarri spoke about the imbalance between the value of the players and the value of the team.
The product of our society, I hear so much talk about the players and then the teams.
The value of the team is never the sum of the individuals. It’s either significantly higher or lower.
Sarri was signed by Lazio last month as a replacement for previous coach Simone Inzaghi, who left Rome after five years in order to join Inter.
As soon as the 62-year-old Italian coach became a real possibility, he instantly became the primary target of president Claudio Lotito and sporting director Igli Tare, who secured their man after a tough set of negotiations.
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