Black & White & Read All Over - Who will be Juventus’ next manager? Tracking the rumors and news"Alla Juventus vincere non è importante. È l'unica cosa che conta."https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/community_logos/47437/blackwhiteread-fave.png2019-06-21T08:10:07+02:00http://www.blackwhitereadallover.com/rss/stream/184062792019-06-21T08:10:07+02:002019-06-21T08:10:07+02:00Five takeaways from Maurizio Sarri’s introductory press conference
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<figcaption>Photo courtesy of Juventus</figcaption>
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<p>The new coach has finally been unveiled, and his presser told us a few things.</p> <p id="CbEvWE">Thursday was the official beginning of a new era for Juventus.</p>
<p id="llqD0Z">New manager Maurizio Sarri was introduced Thursday at a press conference at Allianz Stadium. Along with general manager Fabio Paratici, Sarri took questions for over an hour and outlined both his road to this moment and gave a few hints about what the road ahead might look like.</p>
<p id="M3rUpn">For some of the most interesting quotes from the presser, check out Calvin’s recap <a href="https://www.blackwhitereadallover.com/2019/6/20/18692673/maurizio-sarri-presentation-new-juventus-manager-press-conference-comments-paratici-pogba-rabiot">here</a>. In this space, we’re going to take a look at some of those quotes and figure out what they might mean. How will Sarri handle his new charges? What might we see in the future?</p>
<p id="APDpvd">Let’s take a look.</p>
<h2 id="hB8dhX">He was the first choice — or at least that’s the party line</h2>
<p id="L7Qxbw">The general perception among the fan base is that Sarri was the booby prize after Juve struck out in attempts to get Pep Guardiola and/or Mauricio Pochettino to decamp to Turin. Speaking first at the press conference, Paratici didn’t mince words, telling the assembled reporters: “We chose Maurizio because we felt he was the best coach for Juventus right now, just as (Max) Allegri was five years ago and (Antonio) Conte three years before that ... He was absolutely the first choice.”</p>
<p id="C7WYPk">How much the fans buy this assertion — especially the subsection that was insisting Guardiola would Apparate into Continassa at the last minute until the second that Juve officially announced Sarri’s appointment — remains to be seen. What is certain is that Sarri was the best option amongst the realistic options. Whether Paratici and club president Andrea Agnelli took a swing at the unrealistic and missed before settling (if that’s the right word) for Sarri will likely never be known for sure. </p>
<p id="494ThP">But from Paratici’s words, the front office is obviously confident in Sarri’s ability to succeed at this club.</p>
<h2 id="rVzdb7">Sarri sounds more flexible than he’s given credit for</h2>
<p id="X6e1t7">Sarri has long been knocked for being incredibly rigid in his tactics, but if you listen to how he talked about tactics you might start to doubt that notion.</p>
<p id="HtxxbF">Apart from noting that he had used a 4-3-1-2 formation long before the 4-3-3 that he settled into at Napoli and Chelsea, he also pointed out the differences in the system at those clubs. He stressed the futility of trying to change the characteristics of the players on his roster, adding: “The philosophy of football remains largely the same, but you must have the mental elasticity to adapt to the players and figure out how to win games.”</p>
<p id="kXTBqV">This part of the press conference was a refreshing thing to hear. Not only does it suggest that we won’t see Sarri try to force square pegs into round holes once training begins, but it also suggests that we won’t be seeing the kind down-to-the-studs remodel that a change to a coach whose system is so radically different from his predecessor’s sometimes entails. The team still needs additions, most especially in the midfield. But Sarri definitely looks ready to take what he has at his disposal right now and try to maximize them within his attacking philosophy.</p>
<p id="ih5JZX">It also seems to preclude any drama over Cristiano Ronaldo being squeezed into a system rather than being allowed to do how Ronaldo do. Sure, there will probably be some new responsibilities for the superstar, but much like Eden Hazard, Sarri looks like he knows better than to stifle what makes him unique.</p>
<h2 id="WREXb8">We may know what Sarri’s first-choice attack will be</h2>
<p id="hhpuVR">At one point Sarri sang the praises of three of Juve’s stable of attackers in particular. “Ronaldo is talented, so is (Paulo) Dybala, Douglas Costa is a potential top player who hasn’t really shown what he can do consistently,” he said to the assembled reporters.</p>
<p id="uOqtOT">Did we just find out Sarri’s first choice in attack? It’s entirely possible.</p>
<p id="iHiePC">In <a href="https://www.blackwhitereadallover.com/2019/6/17/18681252/juventus-marizio-sarri-2019-serie-a-champions-league-team-management">my article</a> following the announcement of Sarri’s appointment, I specifically mentioned two of those three players and pointed out the similarities between them and players of Sarri’s past. Dybala, who had a hell of a time trying to adapt to Ronaldo’s arrival last summer, had some of his best games late in the season playing as a false 9. Sarri has had a lot of success playing false nines over the years, from Hazard last year to Dries Mertens at Napoli. It’s not an extravagant leap to think that he would tap Dybala to a similar role — especially as an analogue to what Mertens, who scored 28 goals in his first year in that role, did in Naples.</p>
<p id="cAknSJ">I also matched up Costa with a player from Sarri’s past — particularly Jose Callejon.</p>
<p id="K6tisa">The Spaniard was a constant terror on the right side of Sarri’s front three, buzzing around that wing, providing quality crosses and cutting inside to get on the end of service from the other end. How many goals has he scored against Juventus by either heading or tapping in on a far post run?</p>
<p id="upAxYT">Costa’s combination of pace and technique is unmatched on any roster in Serie A, and the list of players on the rest of the continent who can do what he does isn’t exactly long, either. On top of that, he can do it from either side of the field. In full form Costa can do what Callejon did — except he would be 10 times better at it.</p>
<p id="47H9xL">If Costa and Dybala fill those kinds of roles effectively and dovetail with the “talented” Ronaldo (and the award for Understatement of the Year goes to....), Juve’s front line could be an absolute terror—and they’ll have even more depth backing them up in the likes of Moise Kean, Mario Mandzukic, and Federico Bernardeschi. This could be <em>really</em> fun to watch.</p>
<h2 id="Caybjm">We still don’t know what’s going to happen to Gonzalo Higuain</h2>
<p id="oYhGyx">One of the less talked-about but most intriguing aspects of this summer will be what will happen to Gonzalo Higuain. On the chopping block to cut some costs after the front office detonated the team’s carefully laid-out wage structure to bring in Ronaldo, Higuain had a lost season during separate loan spells at AC Milan and Chelsea, where he reunited with Sarri for the second half of last season.</p>
<p id="OnxdiA">The coach guided him to the Serie A record for goals in a season four years ago, so he obviously knows how to get the best out of him. But keeping him puts a big number back on the wage bill, and creates a huge logjam on the forward line. If he were to play up front, what would Dybala do? What about Mario Mandzukic? What would the effect be on the development of Moise Kean, who could very well be the team’s No. 9 for a decade or more if he comes good and the team treats him right.</p>
<p id="tRjSJH">Sarri was full of praises for Higuain, saying he could play “another 3-4 years at a high level.” But whether those years are with Juventus or somewhere else remains to be seen. It’s sad, really, because it’s was clear last year that he had developed a love for the club and didn’t want to leave, but he may have to in order to keep the roster uncluttered.</p>
<h2 id="PUcMC8">We didn’t hear about squad management</h2>
<p id="PpgZ09">Squad management is Sarri’s biggest weakness. Former players have criticized him in the past for marginalizing the parts of the squad that doesn’t make his starting XI and his top subs, and his actions bear that out.</p>
<p id="K7YX4u">If that persists, it will be a <em>huge</em> problem. </p>
<p id="vwOtSX">Juventus is still the oldest team in Serie A, and of the top contenders for the Champions League. Ronaldo will be 35 by the time the Champions League knockout rounds start. Giorgio Chiellini will hit that mark before the season begins. Even the players who in their physical primes have suffered from overuse over the last few years. Miralem Pjanic, in particular, has see a significant drop-off in form during periods when he’s not given enough rest. In order to keep the team fresh for a deep run in three competitions, rotation is a must, and Sarri must learn to use his squad depth if he’s to succeed. It’s also risky in the long-term too; if a young player like Rodrigo Bentancur or Kean ends up on the outside of Sarri’s rotation looking in, they could have their development stunted or even demand to leave.</p>
<p id="rujGEy">Of course, Juve is far deeper than Napoli or even Chelsea, so it may be that he discovers it easier to rely on his squad players simply because they’re better that what he used to have. Unfortunately, no one put that question to him during the conference, so we’ll have to sweat this out and figure out how he’ll deal with this issue as the season wears on.</p>
https://www.blackwhitereadallover.com/2019/6/21/18693785/juventus-maurizio-sarri-introductory-press-conference-takeaways-2019-serie-a-team-managementSam Lopresti2019-06-20T13:27:30+02:002019-06-20T13:27:30+02:00Sarri unveiled as new Juventus manager
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<figcaption>Photo by Alexander Scheuber/Getty Images</figcaption>
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<p>He even showed up in a suit and tie, before being presented by Fabio Paratici</p> <p id="otdS65">After arriving in Turin yesterday, <span>Maurizio Sarri</span> had his first press conference with the assembled media today as the new <a href="https://www.blackwhitereadallover.com/">Juventus</a> manager. Presented to the world by Director Fabio Paratici, Sarri did not appear overwhelmed by the stage or the occasion. </p>
<p id="aYxIVB">Before Sarri spoke, Paratici stressed that the new manager was indeed the club’s first choice, and not the fallback option after others mentioned by the media such aas Pep Guardiola and Mauricio Pocchetino declined the offer. </p>
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<p id="0Jvd8q">“We had clear ideas from the start, but you have to show respect for a Coach under contract and two big clubs. I thank Chelsea for their disposal, as Marina Granovskaia confirmed herself one of the best directors out there.</p>
<p id="N3rQcs">“We made a choice, thinking the propulsion and alchemy created between club, Coach, players and fans could start to weaken a little. Our choice to change Allegri was not down to results or style of football. Style of football was not central to the reasoning for changing.</p>
<p id="UXqVik">“We chose Maurizio because we felt he was the best Coach for Juventus right now, just as Allegri was five years ago and Conte three years before that.</p>
<p id="g5lmcs">“These are all different Coaches with different characteristics. Sarri showed he can win in the Premier League and internationally, so he’s the right man for the job. He was absolutely the first choice. I don’t know what we said to convince him, maybe he just felt we really wanted him.”</p>
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<p id="HKC0nA">Here are the pick of Sarri’s comments, starting with his Neapolitan background - </p>
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<p id="XREOlD">“You need clear ideas on your journey. I supported <a href="https://www.thesirenssong.com/">Napoli</a> because I was born in Naples and I got the idea we could be competitive at a national level, so I gave my all.</p>
<p id="YFTr4y">”In the last few months at Napoli, I had doubts between my affection for the club and fans, and my professional feeling the journey there had concluded.</p>
<p id="4m50UP">”During my doubts, Carlo Ancelotti was introduced and that was probably my fault, as it was my doubt. I received offers, but preferred to go abroad, as I did not want to move directly to another Italian club.</p>
<p id="u0OxNd">”The Premier League was a great experience, but in the latter half, I felt professional and personal needs to return to Italy.”</p>
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<p id="GUvHh5">On returning to Italy with Juventus, and the challenge ahead - </p>
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<p id="JXIr8c">“Juventus gave me that opportunity and it’s the crowning moment of a career that for 80 per cent of it was extremely tough. I feel that I have respected everyone and I gave my all.</p>
<p id="jVBypM">“When Juventus contacted me, the sensation was strong. I’ve never seen a club so determined to get a Coach in my 30 years here and that is what convinced me.</p>
<p id="N6Yo2j">“I think we have a long path ahead of us. I was talking to the President about structures and organisation. Going around English stadiums, you realise how inadequate our arenas are. There needs to be a cultural shift, as you turn behind you on the bench and are surrounded by children. </p>
<p id="cioffP">”I think in terms of club organisation and tactically on the field, we still have the upper hand compared to England.</p>
<p id="oqTCXq">”I am excited by Serie A this season, because there is the return of Antonio Conte, Marco Giampaolo at Milan, the arrival of an exciting talent like Paulo Fonseca at Roma and at <a href="https://www.sbnation.com/soccer/serie-a/teams/sassuolo">Sassuolo</a> a man I admire a great deal, Roberto De Zerbi. I see a sparkling situation.”</p>
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<p id="UpPqtB">On the <a href="https://www.sbnation.com/champions-league">Champions League</a>, the primary reason Juve chose to move on from <span>Massimiliano Allegri</span> - </p>
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<p id="dN1hIf">“I expect to get up in the morning and study how to win games. If a club tries to drill the idea that victory is owed to them, then there’s a mistake. You have to go out to win.</p>
<p id="K6TfcQ">”As for the Champions League, Juventus will go there to win, but also aware there are eight or nine other teams who are in the same situation. I feel there is more responsibility to win in Italy. In Europe, there is the dream, the passion to win something that has an extraordinary difficult coefficient.”</p>
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<p id="dIYYpB">On formations and tactics at the Bianconeri - </p>
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<p id="n3i2Mq">“You can’t start with a system and send players away or bring them in. We have to identify the two or three players who can make the difference. The third step is to talk to the players, listen to them and then see what system we can use.</p>
<p id="SLJwcx">”In recent years, I’ve had 4-3-3, but the 4-3-3 at Chelsea was very different to the one at Napoli. We had to accompany Eden Hazard’s characteristics, as he could change the game, but also his presence caused issues in defending that we had to work on.</p>
<p id="DGI77Q">”I played 4-3-1-2 for a lifetime before the 4-3-3, so we’ll see.”</p>
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<p id="0tDh4q">On his choice to join Juve despite them being Napoli’s fierce rivals - </p>
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<p id="tq3Mqg">“I had three years at Napoli, I made a choice out of respect to them to go abroad. With the need to come to Italy, I received an offer from Juventus and that’s it.</p>
<p id="RQYN5F">”In my life, I have respected everyone and given 110 per cent to every jersey I worked with. I’ll do the same with these colours, I cannot do more than 110 per cent.</p>
<p id="upMkC4">”My choices were very logical, there’s no need to write a novel around it.</p>
<p id="TKKDJ8">“Clubs are at the end of the day made up of people. I liked the unity I saw in the first approach from Juventus, as that is important for me. At the end of the day, you work for a club and what allows you to give another one per cent is the emotional bond with the people.</p>
<p id="aQYuGx">”I needed only a couple of meetings with them to realise how determined, strong and with a solid mentality they were. I like that.”</p>
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<p lang="en" dir="ltr">Sarri takes in his new home <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/WelcomeSarri?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#WelcomeSarri</a> <a href="https://t.co/8mIj9Dso20">pic.twitter.com/8mIj9Dso20</a></p>— JuventusFC (@juventusfcen) <a href="https://twitter.com/juventusfcen/status/1141662139486212096?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 20, 2019</a>
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<p id="a4JaoI">On managing the phenomenon that is Cristiano Ronaldo - </p>
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<p id="7ApcEq">“I’ve trained great players over the years, but with Ronaldo I move on to the next level, a player who is at the top of the world.</p>
<p id="LVfqPY">”This is a lad with every record in world football and I’d like to help him set another, knowing I contributed to it.</p>
<p id="5jOQxh">“I trained a player with the all-time Serie A record for goals in a single season (Gonzalo Higuain at Napoli). I’d like to make that two. It’d be an enormous satisfaction. </p>
<p id="5otzMD">“I think when a player has the qualities of Dybala or Cristiano, he can play in any role. What changes is the interpretation of the role and the squad must adapt to those characteristics, as centre-forward is a key role.”</p>
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<p id="45icCK">On his teams playing with style, another oft-repeated criticism of Allegri - </p>
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<p id="Pqm13F">“I think the objective of enjoying yourself on the field is not antithetical to winning. If a team entertains the crowd and enjoys its football, that can be further fuel towards victory.</p>
<p id="gbOjI6">”It’s not as if a team that enjoys itself is frivolous. I remember after the first 2-3 <a href="https://www.sbnation.com/soccer/serie-a/teams/empoli">Empoli</a> games in Serie A, I was asked if we thought we could secure safety playing this style of football rather than defend and counter? We saved ourselves with six rounds to spare.</p>
<p id="NWIIfa">”There have been Coaches who won with completely different and contrasting philosophies of football. There is no one way to win. Therefore a Coach should stay true to himself and his vision, taking into account the possibility of failure.”</p>
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<p id="VI4pWt">On how he’s changed his training methods at different clubs - </p>
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<p id="Ii7NTx">“What changes are the characteristics of the players. Napoli had team players, who were totally at the disposal of the team and moved the ball at a decisively quicker pace.</p>
<p id="7BBKMY">”Chelsea are made up of probably technically superior players, but with different individual characteristics.</p>
<p id="Wk4glT">”They have wingers who want the ball at their feet and like to go one-on-one. It leads to a less fluid style of football, because Napoli had 11 who could play one-touch football, Chelsea had seven or eight who could do that and the others were individuals who could make the difference going by themselves.</p>
<p id="LDoOIC">”We were fairly unbeatable in the last two-three months. You’d be insane to think you could change the characteristics of the players at your disposal. I’d be in the amateur leagues at that point.</p>
<p id="zISmLS">”You are dealing with players at this level who are already champions. The philosophy of football remains largely the same, but you must have the mental elasticity to adapt to the players and figure out how to win games.”</p>
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<p lang="en" dir="ltr">The new boss tours the Bianconeri dressing room ⚪️⚫️<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/WelcomeSarri?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#WelcomeSarri</a> <a href="https://t.co/0YCXcFpu7D">pic.twitter.com/0YCXcFpu7D</a></p>— JuventusFC (@juventusfcen) <a href="https://twitter.com/juventusfcen/status/1141661170052620289?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 20, 2019</a>
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<p id="TijgY2">On some key players he thinks will figure in his teams - </p>
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<p id="Ezr08s">“The players who can really change everything are in attack. It’s up to us to organise the players around the field, but in the final third there are players with the talent to make the difference.</p>
<p id="mq00hS">”Ronaldo is talented, so is Dybala, Douglas Costa is a potential top player who hasn’t really shown what he can do consistently. These are great talents and we must see how we can build around them, what they can give in defending.</p>
<p id="u9Qu64">”The players who make the difference are the most talented, so those are the ones you build around.</p>
<p id="shvCne">”I haven’t named Higuain, Mandzukic, I don’t have the entire squad list at my disposal. I was just making some examples, not ruling anyone out.</p>
<p id="nWjJsC">”Pipa is a lad I love a great deal and it depends on him if he remains. I haven’t spoken to Gonzalo since the post-Europa League Final party. I had to get my ideas sorted on Juve and this club.</p>
<p id="6bVhv8">”He is a Juventus player, so when he returns from vacation, we’ll have the opportunity to talk.</p>
<p id="TTBAtx">”Gonzalo has the characteristics that allow him to play with anyone. I said it depends on Gonzalo because I get the feeling he didn’t enjoy the post-Juventus experience and was a little shaken after that season, these things happen. If he can get a strong reaction, he can play another 3-4 years at a high level.</p>
<p id="wrGRQv">“Bernardeschi? Everyone knows I like this lad, ever since <a href="https://www.violanation.com/">Fiorentina</a>-Napoli. He is well-organised, has talent, but lacks a little bit of consistency from game to game. I think this is the moment of his career where he needs to play consistently in one single role.”</p>
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<p id="yEgWUI">On Juve’s transfer activity - </p>
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<p id="CBzQeZ">“There are directors here who have been following these players for years, so I will listen to their opinions too.</p>
<p id="64CjTR">”Maybe not Higuain, who I know pretty well, but I will first and foremost listen and adapt to what the club suggests. It would be unfair for me to impose my ideas on people who know these players more than me.</p>
<p id="MRMDxV">”Once I get a clearer idea of what our key system will be, then we’ll talk about transfers. I don’t like to name names to a club, but I am more focused on characteristics and the kind of players I’d like to have. Paratici knows far more players than me, so we’re in good hands.”</p>
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<p id="WEAwJg">On following the giant footsteps of Allegri’s achievements in Turin - </p>
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<p id="GD37qq">“Allegri leaves a lot to live up to. We know full well that it’s not easy to win all that he did over the last five years. His results were extraordinary.</p>
<p id="UZBP5X">”I’d like to see the same capability that Max gave the team to hold out under pressure for 30 minutes and still win. It’s something I rarely managed, perhaps that is because of my approach. If you get the team accustomed to keeping the ball and they don’t have it for a while, they can struggle and start to panic.</p>
<p id="5G07yB">”Allegri’s teams on the other hand seemed to be struggling, but then you always had the thought in your mind that they could win it anyway.</p>
<p id="ejqPr1">“At times, I chat with Allegri via common friends, but so far I haven’t heard from him. I hope to do so during the summer. We tend to joke around, though, we don’t usually discuss anything serious.”</p>
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<p lang="und" dir="ltr"><a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/WelcomeSarri?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#WelcomeSarri</a> <a href="https://t.co/QfGSKq3BqV">pic.twitter.com/QfGSKq3BqV</a></p>— JuventusFC (@juventusfcen) <a href="https://twitter.com/juventusfcen/status/1141650061115482112?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 20, 2019</a>
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<p id="HfPfav">On what he’s looking to implement at Juventus - </p>
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<p id="Wug99R">“It’s not about working on one area. Clearly, my style of football is different. I have to figure out how much I can bring of my ideas and be productive.</p>
<p id="kIylmN">”I have to gain more points, not fewer, while using my philosophy. It’s about the balance of how much is down to the tactics and how much we leave in the hands of the players.</p>
<p id="Y4DaXl">”If you ask my opinion, I’d like to see Pjanic touch the ball 150 times per game. However, it’s about balancing everything and the various characteristics.</p>
<p id="KeNm6S">”I tend to give a lot more freedom to my teams from the final third, as that is where the players can improvise a little more.</p>
<p id="DLsfB5">”Every team is like a son, you can’t all have the same, nor should you want to. They all have their characteristics.”</p>
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<p id="AAbqcP">On the very important question about wearing the suit and tie - </p>
<blockquote><p id="5GZ9pS">“I’ll talk to the club. Obviously, when representing the club, I will wear their uniform. The important thing at my age is that they don’t send me out there naked...”</p></blockquote>
<p id="ji2ZpD"><em><strong>PS</strong></em><em> - Right at the end of the presser Paratici was asked about the rumours around Paul Pogba and Adrien Rabiot - </em></p>
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<p id="Q61zBd"><em>“Pogba is a Manchester United player, he was with us for many years, he grew up here and we love him, but he is a Manchester United player.</em></p>
<p id="mPeS3Y"><em>”There are many clubs who want Rabiot. We are in the running, not just for him, but the other targets in our minds. We’ll discuss it with Maurizio and try to find the right targets together for the team we want to see.”</em></p>
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https://www.blackwhitereadallover.com/2019/6/20/18692673/maurizio-sarri-presentation-new-juventus-manager-press-conference-comments-paratici-pogba-rabiotCalvin2019-06-20T11:00:00+02:002019-06-20T11:00:00+02:00WATCH LIVE: Maurizio Sarri introductory press conference
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<img alt="Chelsea Press Conference" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/8Wxk0OHMCI3fXUZSMNxn5PD-9k8=/0x0:5568x3712/1310x873/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/64041703/1146295200.jpg.0.jpg" />
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<p>It’s hashtag Sarri Day, everybody!</p> <p id="7acKth">Maurizio Sarri touched down at the Turin-Caselle Airport on Wednesday afternoon, stepped out of what was likely a Juventus-owned private jet and looked like he had just come back from a trip to the Amazon or something along those lines. The button-down shirt was untucked and free flowing, the cargo pants were looking strong no matter how old they actually are and the summer vibes were just oozing from Juve’s new manager.</p>
<p id="tzZ3G7">All it needed was a cigarette or two to complete the day.</p>
<p id="fsnNgj">Today is a different kind of vibe.</p>
<p id="apyIWi">Today is Sarri Day, one where the 60-year-old will meet the Italian media for the first time with the distinction and job title of Juventus’ new manager. What Sarri will be wearing might be one of the most-talked about things of the whole day. Same goes for what he actually says knowing that Juve are busting out the big guns and conducting this press conference in the same spot where media from across Europe and the world assembled the see Cristiano Ronaldo be introduced as a Juventus player last summer.</p>
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<p lang="en" dir="ltr">⏰ Tomorrow, 11:00 CEST.<br><br> Maurizio Sarri's first press conference as Juventus manager.<br><br> LIVE on our Official Facebook page ➡️ <a href="https://t.co/z3JTbTUBAM">https://t.co/z3JTbTUBAM</a> <br><br> And on <a href="https://twitter.com/JuventusTV?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@JuventusTV</a> ➡️ <a href="https://t.co/kOXptz5aF6">https://t.co/kOXptz5aF6</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/WelcomeSarri?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#WelcomeSarri</a> <a href="https://t.co/sYudytl08q">pic.twitter.com/sYudytl08q</a></p>— JuventusFC (@juventusfcen) <a href="https://twitter.com/juventusfcen/status/1141424839267368960?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 19, 2019</a>
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<p id="RRCax7">Replace “Tomorrow” with “Today” and you basically have all the information right there.</p>
<p id="gJPHk0">If you aren’t able to stream it on Facebook, here is a link to Juve’s live stream on their YouTube channel:</p>
<div id="PxH7mp"><div style="left: 0; width: 100%; height: 0; position: relative; padding-bottom: 56.25%;"><iframe src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/oOTGTA4YLi4?rel=0" style="border: 0; top: 0; left: 0; width: 100%; height: 100%; position: absolute;" allowfullscreen="" scrolling="no" allow="autoplay; encrypted-media"></iframe></div></div>
<p id="jiNQfK">And look! It’s a picture of Sarri in an actual suit. That might happen every once in a while. It might actually happen today. We don’t know if it will happen during the season even though we know it should because that’s been the case for years on end now.</p>
<p id="NHZtuw">Maybe somebody will ask him about it. That would be a pretty good moment, wouldn’t it?</p>
<p id="LceaAX">Sarri will be asked about a few other things, too. So let’s just set back and watch it.</p>
https://www.blackwhitereadallover.com/2019/6/20/18692622/watch-live-maurizio-sarri-juventus-introductory-press-conference-2019-serie-a-team-managementDanny Penza2019-06-18T23:41:54+02:002019-06-18T23:41:54+02:00Optimist vs. Pessimist: Juventus bring in Maurizio Sarri as manager
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<img alt="SSC Napoli v Torino FC - Serie A" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/V8Wo3msu9K2IwXd1pQ2h0KQK6DM=/44x0:2956x1941/1310x873/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/64026482/955979640.jpg.0.jpg" />
<figcaption>Photo by Francesco Pecoraro/Getty Images</figcaption>
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<p>An inner monologue on the appointment of Maurizio Sarri as boss.</p> <p id="zRFmWL">With the appointment of Maurizio Sarri as Juventus manager over the weekend, my mind raced through every single scenario and possibility — both extremely optimistic and extremely pessimistic. This is a slightly edited and condensed transcript that inner monologue. </p>
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<p id="BIXdpE"><strong>Pessimistic Manu: </strong>Oh, sweet.</p>
<p id="1vH7WM"><strong>Optimistic Manu: </strong>Will anything, ever, make you happy?</p>
<p id="dgXb1k"><strong>PM: </strong>Pep Guardiola would have been nice. Jurgen Klopp would have been REALLY nice. I would not have been mad at Poch, either.</p>
<p id="GP41Uw"><strong>OM: </strong>So, all coaches under contract who just made either the Champions League final or won every single domestic English competition? Those guys? That’s the only thing that would have made you happy?</p>
<p id="hv64HH"><strong>PM: </strong>I just feel that if you’re going to jettison one of the most successful coaches in the history of the club, you should probably get someone better than the guy who couldn’t beat him all those years. What do I know, though? I’m just an internet writer, I’m not a big head honcho at one of the most storied clubs in the world, I’m sure this was just the plan. Yup, definitely option A.</p>
<p id="pc8w08"><strong>OM: </strong>That feels unfair, considering …</p>
<p id="NjtuTt"><strong>PM: </strong>But, hey, you might be right. I’m sure he brings a bunch of wins, a track of proven success and at least a couple Champions League trophies. Right? RIGHT? </p>
<p id="vRTp4r"><strong>OM: </strong>Here we go …</p>
<p id="fmFfMm"><strong>PM: </strong>Yes, I’m sure he does, definitely. Let me check, though, just to be sure ...</p>
<p id="utEmRd">/checks notes/</p>
<p id="G2DiO6">OH, SWEET. A Europa League trophy? Well, golly, if it ain’t Christmas time here in Juventus land! And, wait a second … Could this be? Am I dreaming? A Serie D Coppa Italia trophy! A whole two trophies in his entire career. We sure hit the jackpot, I’m definitely sold now.</p>
<p id="90ukEM"><strong>OM: </strong>I know where you’re going with this, and it’s a dumb argument.</p>
<p id="ABpHAm"><strong>PM: </strong>Huh, he also got blown out by Real Madrid a couple times, so he’s got that in common with Juventus. That’s reassuring, something to break the ice with the players, I’m sure. </p>
<p id="z21TKm"><strong>OM: </strong>I don’t think you’re giving the man his dues and trophy counts, alone, don’t tell the whole story.</p>
<p id="ccg3bV"><strong>PM: </strong>Look at me, being an idiot, thinking that winning matters! I didn’t know about this sudden turn in the club philosophy. Good to know we are now judging our hiring’s based on moral victories and nice looking style of play, that bears mentioning, has been exposed at the highest levels time and time again. Instead of, you know, winning. </p>
<p id="2Y6kp2"><strong>OM: </strong>Are you done?</p>
<p id="5szCMI"><strong>PM: </strong>SARRI BALL IS A FRAUD. Y’ALL CELEBRATED LIKE YOU WON THE ‘CHIP WHILE STILL TRAILING IN POINTS, YOU CHOKE ARTIST. WE HIRED A LIFELONG RUNNER-UP TO REPLACE THE WINNINGEST COACH IN JUVENTUS HISTORY.</p>
<p id="eRueb4"><strong>OM: </strong>That’s a take and a half.</p>
<p id="YV9LpG"><strong>PM: </strong>Whatever, man. Champions League Round of 16 exit next season. At best.</p>
<p id="HuwYYW"><strong>OM: </strong>Let’s not sugarcoat it: Bringing in Sarri, after all the Guardiola and Poch rumors definitely feels like a letdown. And I do agree, it is hard to envision the board letting Allegri go, while making Sarri option A. In all likelihood they thought they had a chance at Pep and missed. Still, as far as “<em>second</em>” choices go, you could do a whole worse than Sarri. </p>
<p id="l4SvRi"><strong>PM: </strong>Enlighten me.</p>
<p id="wuY03Y"><strong>OM: </strong>First of, if you’re going to judge a coach signing by his winning track record and that alone, it’s a pretty empty cupboard. Most of the coaches that have long, storied pedigrees of winning are generally not jobless. The other options were always going to be long shots at best, is the Juventus situation all that better than staying at Man City, Tottenham or Liverpool respectively? Probably not. </p>
<p id="oS2FzV">Furthermore, isn’t Sarri what all <em>Juventini</em> wanted out of Allegri this past couple of years? If Sarri is known for something it is for having a very defined style — and that style is to attack, attack and attack some more. With the embarrassment of riches that is the Juventus attacking depth, couldn’t you see this team flourishing under a guy like Sarri?</p>
<p id="YLqfS9"><strong>PM: </strong><em>*Scratching his chin, thoughtfully*</em> Go on.</p>
<p id="9v2Hlh"><strong>OM: </strong>You are talking about the guy who got 35-plus goals out of Gonzalo Higuain, the guy who took a relatively underperforming Lorenzo Insigne and made him a star. This is a dude who took a squad that was mostly known as a place for Real Madrid cast offs and pushed Juventus to the brink several times. </p>
<p id="4aqaqv">It’s going to be crazy to see what he can do with the likes of Cristiano Ronaldo, Paulo Dybala, Federico Bernardeschi, Douglas Costa and Mario Mandzukic. That is by FAR the most talent he has ever had. If it pays off it’s going to be an absolute joy to watch.</p>
<p id="In9Ndc"><strong>PM: </strong>So, rotation issues, personality issues, and the reports he lost the locker room in England. None of that raises a flag for you?</p>
<p id="r0GXtJ"><strong>OM: </strong>Sure, it’s a risky move. But once the board decided to jettison Max Allegri, every decision was going to be risky. Dismissing the “<em>steady hand</em>” that had led the project to so much success was always going to be a dicey proposition. After all, Allegri was essentially let go for winning, but not winning quite enough. There is always a ton of risk after making a decision like that because the new guy is going to be inevitably compared to the bar set by the previous manager. So, yeah, if Sarri doesn’t win Serie A at the very least, the whole thing will be considered a failure. </p>
<p id="a5W0MT"><strong>PM: </strong>So you agree, bad signing, right? </p>
<p id="77N81n"><strong>OM: </strong>No, of course not, under the circumstances I don’t think you could have realistically done much better than Sarri. And we are not relitigating whether or not letting Allegri go was the right move. I don’t know if he is going to be a smashing success, an irreversible mess up or just kind of steer the ship and remain the same. But I will tell you something it’s going to be fun as hell. </p>
<p id="MmHGiu"><strong>PM: </strong>You suck up.</p>
<p id="R6BEyT"><strong>OM: </strong>Always a pleasure, dick.</p>
<p id="tbppst"><em><strong>The mailbag is open! Email your questions about football, Juventus and everything in between to BWRAOmailbag@gmail.com</strong></em></p>
https://www.blackwhitereadallover.com/2019/6/18/18682707/juventus-maurizio-sarri-manager-2019-serie-a-team-news-optimist-pessimistSergio Romero C.2019-06-18T08:59:20+02:002019-06-18T08:59:20+02:00Maurizio Sarri to be introduced as Juve’s new manager on Thursday
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<p>Juve were in no rush to officially hire their manager. Seems to be the same when it comes to introducing him.</p> <p id="696pGp">Now that we’ve gotten the official announcement — finally — out of the way, we can now actually talk about Maurizio Sarri being Juventus’ manager. It’s no longer a hypothesis or something that we saw as “probably” happening based on media reports. It’s <a href="https://www.blackwhitereadallover.com/2019/6/16/18659354/official-juventus-hire-maurizio-sarri-as-its-new-manager-2019-serie-a-team-news">officially official</a>, and we can actually say that after a month of waiting, Juve have a manager again.</p>
<p id="KDCR9S">After being named as the successor to Max Allegri over the weekend, the first duty for Sarri to complete is the same as every Juve manager — an introductory press conference.</p>
<p id="UsPVkn">In the same kind of fashion as to when the rumors of who would be Juventus’ next manager first began, the days as to when Sarri will be (re-)introduced to the Italian media varies depending on which outlet you might come across. Sarri’s first day out in the public as Juventus manager — which will surely make plenty of Napoli fans squirm in their seats — will come Thursday, the club announced via email Monday.</p>
<p id="jIyepV">The press conference will take place at the Gianni & Umberto Agnelli Hall at Allianz Stadium, with a scheduled start time of around 11 a.m. CET.</p>
<p id="v4IrCz">It will be interesting to hear what Sarri has to say about why, all of a year after leading Napoli to one of their best seasons ever, he took the Juventus job.</p>
<p id="5Rdra7">It will be interesting to hear what Sarri says about the motivation to take the Juventus job outside of simply returning to his home country.</p>
<p id="9mgvfh">It will be interesting to hear what Sarri has to say when it comes to the obvious expectations his new club has and have only likely continued to have over the past 11 or 12 months.</p>
<p id="Rby2SA">Basically, it will be interesting what Sarri has to say from start to finish and what kind of tone he takes while talking to many of the Italian media members that have covered him so closely over these last handful of years.</p>
<p id="rtaPwE">And I think it will be safe to say that, no matter what Sarri has to say, he will be wearing a suit at his first Juventus press conference.</p>
<p id="rQIzU8">But, at the very least, Sarri will probably get a couple of new suits since he’s now joining Juventus and is expected to ditch the tracksuit as soon as the Serie A schedule gets underway in August.</p>
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<p lang="it" dir="ltr">Mister Sarri l aspetto in Atelier a Torino o Milano... Dove preferisce <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/sarri?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#sarri</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/finoallafine?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#finoallafine</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/welcomesarri?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#welcomesarri</a></p>— alessandro martorana (@SARTORANA) <a href="https://twitter.com/SARTORANA/status/1140261359675957260?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 16, 2019</a>
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<p id="mHPD5x">So he’s got that going for him, which I would probably consider pretty nice.</p>
https://www.blackwhitereadallover.com/2019/6/18/18681348/maurizio-sarri-juventus-introductory-press-conference-date-2019-serie-a-team-newsDanny Penza2019-06-17T14:30:00+02:002019-06-17T14:30:00+02:00Maurizio Sarri’s work is cut out for him at Juventus
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<p>With the search finally over, we can finally look forward to the coming season.</p> <p id="dvnVmh">After a month of waiting, Juventus finally has their new coach. As announced on Sunday morning (at least on the East Coast here in the United States), <a href="https://www.blackwhitereadallover.com/2019/6/16/18659354/official-juventus-hire-maurizio-sarri-as-its-new-manager-2019-serie-a-team-news">Juve have hired Maurizio Sarri</a> away from Chelsea to be Massimiliano Allegri’s successor.</p>
<p id="eflVZX">Let us take a moment of silence to honor the hopes and dreams of the last of the Pep Guardiola holdouts.</p>
<p id="mhdWi8">...</p>
<p id="ktVxA5">Thank you.</p>
<p id="1JvRxJ">In all seriousness, Sarri was always the most realistic of replacements for Allegri once it became clear that the club wasn’t interested in bringing back Antonio Conte. But make no mistake, Sarri now has his work cut out for him — this season and beyond. He has some great qualities as a coach, but also some major drawbacks, and he’ll have to balance those out if he is to continue Juve’s domestic success and finally end Juve’s Champions League drought.</p>
<p id="dUHDTT">The biggest positive of Sarri’s arrival is obviously the way he approaches the game. For all his worthiness, Allegri’s maddening habit of getting a one-goal lead and sitting on it ended up being his downfall. He did have one brief spurt at the end of the 2016-17 season when his “mad experiment,” the so-called Five Star lineup, attacked with abandon and ground their opponents into the turf. That team, lining up in a 4-2-3-1, ran over everything they saw from them middle of January on, before falling 4-1 at the hands of Real Madrid in the Champions League final in Cardiff. Allegri looked spooked by the result of that game, and after the first months of the next season saw the team leak goals at a rate that had not been seen up to that point in the Conte/Allegri era he pulled back hard, only ever unleashing the team when he absolutely had to, like the second leg of the 2017-18 UCL quarterfinal against Real Madrid and the second leg of the round of 16 against Atletico Madrid this past season. The rest of the team’s games tended to be won by a moment individual skill after a match that ranged from difficult to watch to ugly as sin — a source of immense frustration for fans given the bevy of attacking talent the team had at its disposal.</p>
<p id="IvAWFm">If all goes right, there will be no such frustration once Sarri’s system has had time to sink in. Sarri’s Napoli teams were consistently the most dangerous attacking clubs in Serie A. Gonzalo Higuain set the league record for goals under his watch. Dries Mertens went from a mildly productive winger to a 28-goal scorer as a false 9 the year after Higuain left to join Juve. The system that he developed at Empoli and perfected in Naples produces a flowing attacking game that is fun to watch and produces a ton of goals.</p>
<p id="uA1H0l">More than anything else, that system is the biggest plus of Sarri’s arrival. </p>
<p id="hvAOhK">Some of the Sarri’s detractors have dinged him for being tactically inflexible as opposed to his predecessor. But in Allegri’s later years at Juventus — especially this past season — “tactical flexibility” started becoming a synonym for “lack of identity.” This season was the first year under Allegri that the team’s nominal default formation remained the same from the beginning of the season to its end. He used 38 different lineups in 38 Serie A games. Players ran around aimlessly in attack, trying to get into position to do something special on their own rather than attacking as a unit. The 2018-19 version of Juventus was a group of individuals rather than a unit working as a collective.</p>
<p id="9Tpj2W">Sarri’s arrival will change that. The system the media dubbed <em>Sarrismo</em> will provide the identity that the team hasn’t had since the Five Star experiment. There will certainly be some teething issues at the beginning of the upcoming season, and there are a few additions the team will have to make in order put the right pieces in place. In particular, the team needs an Allan-type in midfield, someone to control the defensive phase while players like Miralem Pjanic, or perhaps Aaron Ramsey, take on the kind of role that Marek Hamsik served further forward. The arrival of a player like that — Tanguy Ndombele, please, world? — would be a boon to Pjanic in particular, who isn’t a fit in the <em>regista</em> role and needs to be further up the field.</p>
<p id="td5pIz">Sarri’s arrival could help a number of players on Juve’s roster. Daniele Rugani established himself as one of Italy’s center backs of the future under his tutelage at Empoli, and Sarri repeatedly tried to pry him out of Juve’s grip both at Napoli and Chelsea. The soon-to-be 25-year-old has hit snags in his development during his time at Juve and is entering a make-or-break season. A reunion with his old coach might be just what he needs to finally establish himself. Douglas Costa could easily shake off a lost year as an analog to Jose Callejon. But easily the player who could benefit the most besides Rugani is Paulo Dybala. The Argentine had immense difficulty adjusting to the arrival of Cristiano Ronaldo, stranded wide on the right where his talents couldn’t be put to their best use. But some of his best performances of the year came late in the season when Allegri used him as a false nine, and the similarities between that and Mertens’ breakout two years ago can’t be overlooked. If Sarri can use him the way he did the Belgian, we could be looking at an absolutely unstoppable attack.</p>
<p id="jMwUP5">That’s not to say there aren’t warts in Sarri’s makeup. The biggest issue that’s been nagging at me since he became the front-runner for the job has been his abysmal record in squad management. I’ve always remembered an interview given by Emanuele Giaccherini — who spent a year-and-a-half in Naples under Sarri — after he moved to Chievo in the winter of 2018. Giaccherini had played just 344 minutes of league football under Sarri, and a week after his transfer he told Gazzetta dello Sport (<a href="https://www.football-italia.net/116936/giaccherini-sarri-has-problem">h/t Football Italia</a>), “For him, there are only 14-15 players ... For [Antonio] Conte everyone’s important and no one’s indispensable. For Sarri, his starting XI are indispensable and the others come after.”</p>
<p id="o5kR29">That’s a huge red flag for a number of reasons. In the first place, squad rotation is essential to keeping the team in peak condition at the end of the year — especially for a team whose ultimate goal is the Champions League. We saw the effect that Allegri’s lack of rotation early in the season had towards the end. Mario Mandzukic looked like a spent force for much of the second half of the year. Even Blaise Matuidi looked like he needed a break. With a roster that is still very much on the older side that relies on players like Giorgio Chiellini and Ronaldo — both of whom will be 35 before and during the coming season, respectively — rotation is absolutely crucial, particularly with the expectation to compete deep into three competitions. Such an attitude can also be detrimental to the team’s future. If Sarri continues to underutilize his whole squad and talented young players with bright futures like Rodrigo Bentancur and Moise Kean end up on the outside of those 14-15 players, they could easily start agitating for moves elsewhere, or else have their development stunted if they chose to remain. Either eventuality would cause major damage to some big parts of Juve’s future.</p>
<p id="RqUgjj">Some have pointed to his tumultuous time this past year at Chelsea as proof he has difficulty holding a locker room, but this criticism is, in my view, spurious. Tactics have never been the main focus in the EPL, and both Sarri and Conte ended up on the wrong end of that attitude while trying to implement their systems over the last three seasons. That he managed to make the League Cup final and win the Europa League regardless of those issues is probably a better indication of his abilities. He’s certainly on the pricklier side — some fans are still up in arms about the infamous bird-flipping incident last year — but he isn’t an instant recipe for locker room discontent, provided he keeps everyone happy on the playing time front.</p>
<p id="lEI1XL">All in all, the good outweighs the bad here. </p>
<p id="LMfPDa">Sarri’s reputation as someone who delivers beautiful football but no trophies — the biggest shot that <em>Juventini</em> took at him during his years at Napoli — has been broken to an extent following his Europa League triumph this year. He’ll be inheriting the deepest, most talented roster he’s ever had — including one of the best players the world has ever seen. So long as he doesn’t grind players into the ground by ignoring that depth, there’s no reason to think that he can’t have success. Of course, there’s the normal definition of success, and there’s the way Juventus has come to define success over the last eight years. If this team doesn’t improve on its Champions League results of the last two years — you know, the reason Ronaldo was signed in the first place — Sarri’s time with the team will be short.</p>
<p id="2jsdLn">And then we’ll have to listen to the dreamers going on and on about Pep for another summer.</p>
https://www.blackwhitereadallover.com/2019/6/17/18681252/juventus-marizio-sarri-2019-serie-a-champions-league-team-managementSam Lopresti2019-06-16T17:48:17+02:002019-06-16T17:48:17+02:00OFFICIALLY OFFICIAL: Juventus hire Maurizio Sarri as its new manager
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<p>Get ready for the Jeep-sponsored ash tray right next to the Juve bench next season.</p> <p id="wqHBGc">Even with names like Mauricio Pochettino and Pep Guardiola being thrown out there for the better part of the last month, the vast majority of the Italian media has been steadfast in their belief that Maurizio Sarri would leave Chelsea in order to be the next manager at Juventus.</p>
<p id="VJK2wx">On Sunday, Juve did name their next manager.</p>
<p id="drtJ9R">It wasn’t a surprise. Instead, it was what we’ve been anticipating for the majority of days since Max Allegri announced that he would not try and win a sixth straight title as Juve’s manager.</p>
<p id="17J5De">Juventus has officially announced Sarri as the club’s next manager, with the 60-year-old Italian being let loose of of contract with Chelsea after one season to make the return to Italy. Sarri has signed a three-year deal with the eight-time Italian champions, with a salary reported to be around €6 or €7 million a year, <a href="https://www.blackwhitereadallover.com/2019/6/8/18657606/maurizio-sarri-chelsea-juventus-2019-serie-a-epl-manager-rumors">according to multiple reports in the Italian press</a> over the past couple of weeks.</p>
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<p lang="it" dir="ltr">OFFICIAL | Maurizio Sarri is the new Juventus coach. <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/WelcomeSarri?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#WelcomeSarri</a><br><br>➡️ <a href="https://t.co/ur5ixeCoQn">https://t.co/ur5ixeCoQn</a> <a href="https://t.co/HO49X8HoUL">pic.twitter.com/HO49X8HoUL</a></p>— JuventusFC (@juventusfcen) <a href="https://twitter.com/juventusfcen/status/1140243340417544192?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 16, 2019</a>
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<p id="dDNNxg">The club’s statement courtesy of <a href="https://www.juventus.com/en/news/news/2019/maurizio-sarri-is-the-new-juventus-coach.php">Juventus’ official website</a>:</p>
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<p id="pQ44OT">After an excellent season on the Blues bench, in which he led the club to a third-place finish in the Premier League and reach the EFL Cup final. The ultimate high during his tenure in London was when he led Chelsea to the Europa League final, before going on to being crowned champions in his final game on the Blues bench.</p>
<p id="MJaBan">Now, Maurizio Sarri has returned to Italy, where he has coached for the majority of his career. And from today, he will take over the reins at Juventus with a contract until June 30, 2022. </p>
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<p id="ZkidsC">In Sarri, Juventus are obviously looking for more of an identity for free-flowing attacking football. Arguably the biggest gripe against Allegri was his quite conservative approach to games and defensive mindset once Juventus got the lead. Allegri only truly let Juve loose — especially this past season — when the situation called for it rather than having a high-pressure, high-octane offense centered around Cristiano Ronaldo and Paulo Dybala.</p>
<p id="fK5GsZ">While Sarri Ball hasn’t exactly won anything close to consistent silverware, it has consistently produced one of Italy’s most dangerous attacks year-in and year-out. It was Sarri at the helm when Gonzalo Higuain had his record-breaking season with Napoli. It was Sarri who was in charge when Napoli gave Juventus quite the title challenge two years ago.</p>
<p id="FCIAho">But Sarri Ball does come with its faults — namely the fact that he rarely actually rotates his squad. And knowing how, at least for the time being, Juventus will easily have one of the oldest squads in Serie A, that’s not exactly something that is encouraging know that the club will obviously not lower expectations to compete on multiple fronts with Ronaldo under contract the next three years.</p>
<p id="pF2wHz">That will be the challenge for Sarri. How can a veteran manager like him, whose biggest trophy win as a manager is in the Europa League this spring, going to be the one to get Juventus over the hump? Well, in just a few months, we’ll find out if Sarri is going to be an improvement over Allegri or just the guy after the guy who won so much during his time with the Italian champions.</p>
https://www.blackwhitereadallover.com/2019/6/16/18659354/official-juventus-hire-maurizio-sarri-as-its-new-manager-2019-serie-a-team-newsDanny Penza2019-06-14T00:42:24+02:002019-06-14T00:42:24+02:00Report: Sarri to Juventus in final stages
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<img alt="Chelsea v Arsenal - UEFA Europa League Final" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/fOCP3PjZ5r0VZKv3DH40q_LRkOE=/0x220:4399x3153/1310x873/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/64003190/1152808597.jpg.0.jpg" />
<figcaption>Photo by Shaun Botterill/Getty Images</figcaption>
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<p>The wait for Juventus’ new coach may be nearing its end.</p> <p id="GguvRC">The wait for Juventus to announce Massimiliano Allegri’s successor might be coming to an end.</p>
<p id="oRxvpr">According to a <a href="https://www.football-italia.net/139363/sky-chelsea-release-sarri-last">report</a> from Sky Sport Italia that is being parroted by Sky-connected reporters Gianluca Di Marzio (<a href="https://twitter.com/DiMarzio/status/1139280721766420481?fbclid=IwAR0QS02sG2xUTVXvq0IrGYBWwk7okBp8P_sdnWbkUvDo4rEv96HZmGIwFc0">here</a>) and Fabrizio Romano (<a href="https://twitter.com/FabrizioRomano/status/1139281343282647046">here</a>), that man will be Maurizio Sarri.</p>
<p id="wmAtSS">According to the reports, all but the fine details of Sarri’s release from Chelsea are settled after face-to-face negotiations between Juve general manager Fabio Paratici and Mariana Granovskaia, the right-hand woman of Chelsea owner Roman Abramovich. Sky maintain that the Blues were initially holding out for €6 million in compensation for the coach, but that was negotiated down to an undisclosed lower number, including performance-based bonuses. Barring any unforeseen obstacles, Sarri could have his contract with the London club terminated by Friday at the earliest. He will then be free to sign a three-year contract with Juve.</p>
<p id="g874JT">Di Marzio further <a href="https://gianlucadimarzio.com/en/juventus-chelsea-agreement-reached-for-sarri-the-latest">maintains</a> on his own web site that Chelsea had not wanted to get in the way of the deal but had wanted time to secure a replacement for Sarri. That will reportedly be Chelsea legend Frank Lampard, who recently guided Derby County to the promotion playoff final in the English second tier.</p>
<p id="VkmF5p">While we’ve seen a couple of false starts on the Sarri-to-Juve news in the last week or so, these reports include more details than previous bulletins, including the reunion of Sarri with Giovanni Martuschiello, his top assistant when he was at Empoli. Martuschiello didn’t follow Sarri to Napoli, instead succeeding him at the Tuscan club. He was most recently Luciano Spalletti’s assistant at Inter and was dismissed along with the rest of Spalletti’s staff at season’s end. Sky reports that he will reunited with Sarri in Turin.</p>
<p id="8RLroB">If the reports are accurate, it will finally bring an end to an excruciating wait—as well as crush the dreams of those still clinging to the idea of Pep Guardiola leaving Manchester City to come to Juventus. Sarri’s lone season at Chelsea was a productive one. He put the team back into the top four of the English Premier League, reached the final of the English League Cup, and won the club’s second Europa League title, crushing Arsenal 4-1 in the final. He came to prominence with Empoli in 2014, when he led the team back to Serie A for the first time since 2007-08. After keeping the team up, he was poached by Napoli, where he maintained the <em>Partenopei’</em>s status as Juve’s most consistent domestic challengers while perfecting an entertaining, flowing style of football that became known as <em>Sarrismo</em> and garnered praise for being the best in Italy—even though it never managed to upend Juve at the top of the table.</p>
<p id="lB9DCk">The expectations that would fall on Sarri’s shoulders will be immense. He would be tasked with doing what Max Allegri couldn’t: end Juventus’ 23-year-long wait for a Champions League crown while simultaneously maintaining their historic domestic dominance and raising the team’s level of play, which had become abysmal at times during Allegri’s final season. It’s worth pointing out that his contract and Cristiano Ronaldo’s would end in the same year—whether or not he would stay with the team beyond that would likely depend entirely on whether he can reach the goals Ronaldo was brought in to help achieve. If Juve fall short—or if they look just as wonky as they did this past year—he’ll be in trouble quickly.</p>
<p id="zRao5x">Like we said, there have been a few false starts on this story in the last week, and things are never settled until the clubs announce it themselves, but watch this space for updates.</p>
https://www.blackwhitereadallover.com/2019/6/14/18678272/maurizio-sarri-chelsea-juventus-2019-serie-a-epl-manager-rumorsSam Lopresti