In a recent interview with La Gazzetta dello Sport, legendary Italian coach Arrigo Sacchi shared his thoughts on Massimiliano Allegri’s potential appointment as AC Milan’s new manager. Sacchi, known for his innovative tactics and successful stint with Milan in the late 1980s and early 1990s, offered a candid assessment of Allegri’s coaching style and achievements.
Sacchi began by expressing his respect for Allegri’s work: “I have great respect for Allegri and his work. He’s a coach who has always done well wherever he’s been.” However, he quickly added, “I must admit that I prefer a different style of football. There’s nothing wrong with that; it’s a matter of taste.”
When asked if he would bet on Allegri to relaunch Milan, Sacchi carefully distanced himself from the decision-making process. “I’m not a club executive, so it’s not my job to decide what to do,” he stated. He emphasized that his past criticisms of Allegri’s teams and football style were not personal attacks.
Addressing Allegri’s track record, Sacchi acknowledged the coach’s domestic success but pointed out a significant shortcoming: “Allegri has perfectly followed the tracks of Italian football history, based on defense, counter-attacks, and high-level players. These are his ideas, and he deserves credit for achieving important results with them.” However, Sacchi added a crucial caveat: “But if you ask me if his teams played well, I must admit that I enjoy watching a different kind of football.”
The former Milan coach then touched on Allegri’s lack of international success, a point of contention for many critics. “My observation is that in Europe, while leading the strongest and most economically powerful Italian team, Juventus, he hasn’t won trophies,” Sacchi noted. He expanded on this, highlighting a broader issue in Italian football: “In Italy, there’s a lack of style; teams don’t have it. They focus on buying big-name players, but then in Europe, we don’t progress. This is the problem.”
