23 September at 17:40
Former Juventus manager Marcello Lippi has backed Maurizio Sarri to succeed at his new job with the Turin-based club.
Juventus has had a difficult beginning under Sarri where they looked rather uncomfortable compared to previous seasons.
It is becoming increasingly clear that players at the club are finding it hard to adapt the new manager’s style of play which was very clear as Juve could not secure a win against Atletico Madrid in the UEFA Champions League despite having a two goal lead at one stage.
The 71-year-old, who has managed Juve from 1994 to 1999, in an interview with radio channel Radio Sportiva, said that it will be difficult for the current Italian champions to change their game play according to Sarri’s method.
“It is not easy to make a team play completely differently than they are used to especially if they, like Juve, have been champions for eight straight years,” said Lippi as per La Gazzetta dello Sport. “I can tell you it is not easy to change the player’s mindset.”
However, Lippi further went on to back Sarri to stick to his methods and ‘characteristics’ which brought the 60-year-old all the success in managerial career.
“Certainly with Sarri, we will see a very different Juve,” he said. “But the important thing for him is that he should not lose the characteristics that brought him all the success in his career.”
Lippi, who is famous for his 2006 World Cup triumph with the Italian national team, also revealed that he sees a bit of himself in the former Juventus manager Massimiliano Allegri.
“I must admit that there are so many similarities between me and Allegri,” said Lippi. “We both arrived as a manager at a big club at nearly a same age. We both’ve won the Scudetto. We both have similarities in tactics as well.”
