Despite winning the Scudetto title while in charge, Maurizio Sarri left Juventus as a mostly unpopular figure. The former Napoli and Chelsea coach joined the club in 2019 in order to add an exciting twist to the team’s style of play, but his time was cut short following an early Champions League elimination at the hands of Lyon in August 2020.
The 63-year-old has become the manager of Lazio, and says he’s enjoying his time with the capital club. But obviously, he still has some regrets regarding his time in Turin and the way things unfolded.
The Tuscan believes that he joined the club at a time when a cycle was coming to an end, and that he wasn’t afforded enough time to implement his own tactical ideas.
Sarri also talks about Cristiano Ronaldo’s effect, explaining how the team had to adapt to the superstar and not vice versa.
“If I remember correctly, in the first match Chiellini played and scored. But two days before the second match (against Napoli), he suffered from an ACL injury,” said the former Juventus manager in an interview with Corriere dello Sport via Calciomercato.
“It was a Juventus that had reached the end of its cycle and I immediately realized it.
“I regret not having been able to coach Cristiano Ronaldo while he was a younger. I found a player who had established himself through a certain type of football and had become a world icon.
“The team had to adapt to him, not the other way around. He scored 33 league goals with me. and four in the Champions League.
“In short, it’s never easy to convince a champion with such accolades to change course.”
yep pretty obvious, you have to be a superteam
That’s class. He said the way it is or was without having to put down Ronaldo. Don’t know why people don’t like Sarri. He was never given a chance. Did they think he could implement his game in one season without patience from above. His is a specific way of playing which needs at least 2 to 3 seasons to implement with his kind of players. Wasn’t going to work with an arrogant Ronaldo that has no humbleness or humility. Ronaldo is the sole reason why Sarri was sacked after just a season. He just said it in a classy way. I could care less. And he is doing it again at Man u. Hag ten better show him who is boss and the higher ups better back their coach. Not like our push over higher-ups who let that arrogant jerk run the show.
When came to suggestion about joining from Ronaldo side. Juventus had to refuse the suggestion. They had lost their identity at that period.
All of them keep blaming Ronaldo. You cannot find a perfect player anywhere. Use his positives and complement what else you need from other players. A tree cannot make a forest. Everybody wants to make Ronaldo scapegoat for their inefficiencies. Shame on you all!