Sarri: Ronaldo was difficult to manage and Juve took Serie A glory for granted

By Sports Desk July 06, 2021

Maurizio Sarri says he found Cristiano Ronaldo difficult to manage and winning Serie A was "taken for granted" when he guided Juventus to the title.

Ronaldo vented his fury at Sarri when he was substituted during a game against Milan in November 2019.

Sarri stated that the Portugal captain had lacked sharpness during his tenure in Turin, but denied talk of a rift between the pair.

The new Lazio head coach, who was sacked by Juve last August after only one season in charge, revealed managing the five-time Ballon d'Or winner was a challenge despite his tally of 31 goals in 33 Serie A games.

He told Sportitalia: "The management of Ronaldo is not easy, he is a multinational that has personal interests to match those of the team. It is certainly a difficult situation to manage.

"Honestly, I think I am better at being a coach and not a manager, which I don't like, it bores me and I enjoy it more on the pitch.

"It's a difficult management, there are many positive aspects because at the end of the year Ronaldo brings important results.

"It is clear that he represents something that can go beyond the club and the team, with so many followers it is clear that it goes beyond normality.

"It is the product of our club, in recent years I hear a lot about individuals and little about teams, which are the ones that go on the pitch. And the value of the team is not the sum of the value of individuals."

 

Sarri masterminded Juve's ninth successive Serie A triumph in the 2019-20 campaign, but the Bianconeri's dominance was ended when they finished fourth as Inter won the title last season.

Former Napoli and Chelsea boss Sarri feels he may have been in charge at the wrong time given expectations appeared to have changed.

"It was taken for granted. On the outside, but I have to say also on the inside. We won a Scudetto without celebrating it, everyone dined on their own," he added.

"Probably the right year would have been this, after a fourth place and I saw that they celebrated, the ideal conditions are probably there."

Related items

  • Massimiliano Allegri looking for strong end to season as Juventus eye twin goal Massimiliano Allegri looking for strong end to season as Juventus eye twin goal

    Juventus’ Serie A title challenge may well be over for another year but coach Massimiliano Allegri is still looking for a strong finish to the season.

    The Turin giants last claimed the scudetto in 2020 but their hopes of ending that run this campaign have all-but disappeared after winning just one of their last eight games.

    That means the third-placed Bianconeri will go into this weekend’s trip to Lazio a massive 17 points behind runaway leaders Inter Milan with only nine league games left.

    However, with a top-four spot yet to be secured and the Coppa Italia up for grabs – Juve face Lazio in the first leg of their semi-final next Tuesday – Allegri’s men still have plenty to play for as action resumes after the international break.

    Allegri told a press conference: “The players who have returned from international duty are well, and those who stayed with us worked a lot on the pitch.

    “Now we’re all ready for that final push to the finish line, we have 55 days to take us to the end of the season.

    “The most important thing for us now is that we’re all focused on the end of the season.

    “We’ve dropped a lot of points and we have to be realistic. In the second half of the season we’ve only picked up 13 points, and now we have 27 to play for to consolidate our place in the Champions League spots.

    “Then there’s the Italian Cup, and on Tuesday we have another important game against Lazio hoping to stay in the fight for silverware. We have to think about that too.”

    Allegri, who said Italy forward Moise Kean will start against Lazio as he looks to push his Euro 2024 claims, is set to take charge of his 500th Serie A match this weekend.

    The 56-year-old former AC Milan and Cagliari coach said: “I’m pleased to have reached 500 games in charge, and it’s evidence of my desire, passion and love for the job and this sport. I want to have fun still and I love being out on the pitch.”

  • Mikel Arteta says Pep Guardiola ‘best coach in the world’ ahead of Man City game Mikel Arteta says Pep Guardiola ‘best coach in the world’ ahead of Man City game

    Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta has hailed Pep Guardiola as “the best coach in the world” as the close friends prepare for a potentially seismic game in the Premier League title battle this weekend.

    Manchester City play host to their title rivals at the Etihad Stadium on Sunday having won the last seven home meetings between the two sides.

    Arsenal finally managed to record a rare victory over City when they won the reverse fixture at the Emirates Stadium earlier this season and go into the weekend top of the table – above Liverpool on goal difference with Guardiola’s reigning champions a point further back.

    The two Spaniards are good friends, Arteta having worked under Guardiola at City between 2016 and 2019 and played his part in two Premier League title wins.

    Now though, they will once again be in opposite dugouts as Arteta prepares to lock horns with a manager he believes is without rival.

    Asked if his relationship with Guardiola was different now, Arteta replied: “It had to change.

    “My admiration and what I feel for him certainly hasn’t. In my opinion he’s the best coach in the world by a mile and he’s one of the nicest people that I’ve met in football.

    “Certainly he’s one of the ones that I’ve had the most fun and laughter working with. That’s going to stay there forever.

    “At the moment the rules are what they are and you’re going to have to adapt to it.”

    Having sparred for the title last season, before City ultimately pipped Arsenal for the trophy en route to winning the treble, Arteta is keen to go one better this term.

    “Probably I would prefer to do it against someone who I don’t have those feelings for but that’s not a choice,” he added.

    “It’s what it is. We both want to win.

    “We’ll prepare the game very well. You cannot feel different about the person, but professionally you have to act differently.”

    Arteta confirmed forwards Bukayo Saka and Gabriel Martinelli could feature having missed the international break with minor injuries, while Gabriel Magalhaes is also expected to be fit enough to start.

    The challenge for Arsenal is not only end a nine-year wait for a league win at City but to also emulate their rivals in establishing themselves as a major power in European football.

    “They have raised the bar in this league and football in general to levels that haven’t been seen before,” he added on City’s success.

    “That’s the beauty of this sport because it makes you better and challenges you more. You have to keep up with that pace and that’s what we’re trying to do.

    “It’s a massive game for both teams. It will give us a huge boost again if we go there and win it. Still there is a long, long, long way after to make the ground to win it.”

  • Celtic will not risk Callum McGregor ahead of Rangers showdown Celtic will not risk Callum McGregor ahead of Rangers showdown

    Celtic captain Callum McGregor has a “very good chance” of facing Rangers but will not be risked on Livingston’s artificial surface.

    Manager Brendan Rodgers will delay McGregor’s comeback until after Sunday’s cinch Premiership contest at the Tony Macaroni Arena.

    The midfielder has been troubled by Achilles pain and has not featured since coming off at half-time during Celtic’s 7-1 win over Dundee on February 28.

    Rodgers said: “Callum has been out on the field, but we are not risking him in this game. But he should hopefully re-join training next week.”

    When asked if McGregor had a chance of facing Rangers, Rodgers replied: “Yes, a very good chance.”

    Reo Hatate is set to make his return after playing only 19 minutes for Celtic since October. The Japan midfielder briefly returned from a hamstring injury at the start of the year only to suffer calf problems during the Asian Cup.

    Cameron Carter-Vickers is also expected to play after being left out of the United States squad amid ongoing hamstring issues but Celtic could again be without wingers Yang Hyun-jun and Luis Palma, the latter of whom has a calf injury.

    Rodgers said: “Cameron is fine, Reo Hatate is back and available in the squad, which is great news. He has worked very hard, he played a bounce game in the time off and he has built up his fitness.

    “Yang has come back (from South Korea duty) with a bit of tightness so we just need to make sure that’s nothing more serious. He played two 60 minutes and a 30 minutes when he was away, so he has come back a little bit tight. We just have to check and make sure he is OK.

    “Luis Palma will probably just miss out on this weekend but will hopefully be available soon.”

    Rodgers admits Livingston’s artificial pitch comes into his thinking when making his team selection.

    “You certainly have to consider it,” he said. “Like, for example Callum, you have to think along that route.

    “There’s no doubt it comes into your thinking, especially on the back of an international break when players have been travelling.

    “I think we are all hopeful in the future that we will have quality grass pitches here that the supporters can see the best possible game they can, but at this moment we play on the plastic pitch so we have to deal with that.

    “Of course that means we have to think about team selection and the welfare of the player, and obviously from Callum’s perspective it’s probably too much of a risk for us.”

© 2023 SportsMaxTV All Rights Reserved.