When we’re talking about the best Italian managers at the moment, the names of Massimiliano Allegri and Maurizio Sarri are bound to come up,
The two tacticians couldn’t be any more different. One applies a carefully-craft playing style based on ball possession and repeated drills, while the other relies on defensive solidity and the ability of his star players to decide the match in their own way.
The contrast can even be noticed in the way they dress up for matchday. Max will always put up a suit that identifies him as the boss, while Maurizio likes to feel comfy in a tracksuit.
On Saturday, the two men will meet again when Lazio host Juventus at the Olimpico Stadium, but their rivalry dates back to 2003, according to Corriere dello Sport via JuventusNews24.
18 years ago, the two managers met for the first time when Sarri’s Sangiovannese played against Allegri’s Aglianese. The encounter ended in a goalless draw, and the result was replicated in the return fixture.
The tacticians met again in January 2008 for a Serie C fixture, when Hellas Verona (Sarri) hosted Sassuolo (Allegri) at the Bentegodi Stadium.
Sarri made it to Serie A in 2014 with Empoli and tried his luck against Allegri’s Juventus.
However, their rivalry truly rose to prominence during the three seasons when Maurizio took over Napoli, and it all exploded during the famous Scudetto battle in 2017/18 which almost saw the Partenopei snatch the title from the Bianconeri.
In 2019, Max was relieved from his duties in Turin, and was replaced by none other than Sarri, and the two men are yet to meet on the pitch since then.
So will have the upper hand in the latest chapter that is set to be written this weekend?
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