Massimiliano Allegri and Stefano Pioli have many things in common. For instance, both men won a Scudetto title while in charge of Milan. And while the latter played for the Bianconeri, the former is currently in his second coaching stint in Turin.

Furthermore, the two managers took their coaching badges during the same period before launching their respective managerial careers.

Even though Allegri has thus far collected more trophies than his counterpart, Romeo Benetti insists that Pioli was easily the better student between the two.

The 76-year-old was a coaching professor at Coverciano when the two famed managers were taking their studies, and he gave some insight on their earlier days in coaching ahead of their anticipated meeting on Saturday.

Benetti was obviously a keen admirer of Pioli’s younger version, but was far less impressed by the young Max, who appeared to be distracted.

“Stefano was very attentive to the courses, he never missed a lesson, he followed everything,” said the former Milan, Juventus and Roma midfielder in an interview with La Gazzetta dello sport via ilBianconero.

“When he spoke the others were silent and listened to him, because he never said banality.

“He had always been good and above all he has had the patience to wait for his time to come, because he would have deserved to win a Scudetto sooner.

“Allegri was very different. I would say less attentive. He seemed to have lesser abilities than Pioli.

“He thought it was all easy, perhaps because as a player he did not suffer great difficulties, but football is more complex than it seems because it is made up of many nuances.

“Max was more fortunate than Pioli, especially at the beginning of his career. I remember that in Cagliari he started very badly, but the president was absent. As soon as he returned, Allegri won his first match and thus saved himself.”