After Maurizio Sarri claimed his first league title with Serie A champions Juventus, Stats Perform News revisits an interview with former player Luca Tognozzi.
Maurizio Sarri's journey to the top of Italian football has been long and arduous.
Sarri's first foray into coaching came at the age of 31 via U.S.D Stia in 1990 while juggling work commitments – foreign currency trader by day, coach by night. That combination of banking and amateur football continued until he devoted himself to coaching in the early 2000s.
Years in the lower tiers of Italian football saw Sarri gain promotion with the likes of Sansovino, who he led to Coppa Italia Serie D glory in 2002-03, and Sangiovannese. There were also brief and forgettable stints in charge of Pescara, Arezzo, Avellino, Hellas Verona and Perugia.
It was not until 2014 that Sarri had his first taste of Serie A after guiding Empoli to promotion at the age of 55. A surprise move to Napoli followed 12 months later – the Naples-born coach, who grew up in Tuscany, an unpopular choice among fans and even club great Diego Maradona.
But Sarri revolutionised Napoli and Italian football with his attacking and free-flowing brand, earning admirers from far and wide. Head-hunted by Chelsea following two runners-up medals in Naples, Sarri was lured to Serie A champions Juventus after leading the Blues to Europa League glory in his one and only campaign at Stamford Bridge in 2018-19 for his first major title.
Sarri's Juve appointment raised eyebrows last July, questions asked due to his Napoli links and philosophy – his approach in complete contrast to Bianconeri teams of years gone by. The 61-year-old, though, became the oldest head coach to win Serie A on Sunday as he celebrated his first league triumph following a 2-0 success at home to Sampdoria.
