GdS: ‘Results or style?’ – why Allegri vs. Sarri is a clash of managerial principles

Massimiliano Allegri and Maurizio Sarri are both coaches hailing from Tuscany, but that is where the similarities between the two end.

As La Gazzetta dello Sport (seen below) write this morning, their principles when it comes to football are very different. For Allegri what matters is the end (the result) and not the means (the style of play). For Sarri, there’s no true victory without playing well and entertaining.

Tonight, Max and Maurizio will reach 20 head-to-head matches, with 11 wins for Allegri, four for Sarri, and four draws so far. The first time was also in November, the 16th, 2003: Maurizio’s Sangiovannese hosted Allegri’s Aglianese, which ended 0-0. The last time was in September 2023: Juve-Lazio 3-1.

Allegri then took a season off, while Sarri came and went from Lazio. They meet again this evening, further apart than ever. During the journey there was no shortage of exchanges, direct or otherwise.

Only winning matters

In the summer, Allegri accepted the Rossoneri’s offer, among many others. He needed a challenge to truly prove himself and entered into the Scudetto mission without, on paper, having the best team.  He cleared up all doubts with a smile, tidying up the defence and bringing the best out of stars.

While Milan fans were wondering what would become of the team which finished eighth last year, Allegri showed up smiling and relaxed at the presentation as the new coach.

“Rafa is more responsible than ever. All decisions on signings and sales are shared with the club. Loftus-Cheek and Fofana, together, can score fifteen goals,” he said.

The shock following the defeat against Cremonese was immediately mended with a call to go and get Adrien Rabiot. With him, he created a perfect tailor-made suit for Milan: the low block, the support of the wing-backs, the orchestration of Luka Modric, and lethal counter-attacks.

Milan are second with 18 goals scored and nine conceded, with six clean sheets this season. Speaking of outfits: Allegri never gives up his suit, his lace-up shoes and of course his slim-fit jacket and coat. Sometimes, the referees ‘force’ him to take it off.

Prsuit of style

By contrast, Sarri has always preferred a tracksuit and trainers on the sidelines. While Allegri is sorely lacking a solid centre-forward, he’s adapting a couple of wingers to play the role, while Lazio’s stalled transfer window has been a point of contention between Sarri and Lotito.

“I thought the president had screwed me,” he often says, smiling too, but not too much. The quality of the team also troubles him: the coach believes the current squad has ‘wilted’ compared to the past.

Things aren’t any better with the staff: Cancellieri’s injury had created tension between the doctors and the coach. However, there’s something less ‘Sarri-esque’ than usual: having been unable to choose the players, the coach has adapted his ideas to the group he’s found.

He hasn’t imposed his style, but has accommodated the team’s needs. Lazio are currently eighth, with 15 goals scored (three fewer than Milan) and nine conceded (the same as the Rossoneri). Captain Zaccagni is, along with Cancellieri, the top Lazio scorer: three goals.

Three weeks ago, Sarri left San Siro in a fury, having been beaten by Inter: “The referees? Even Padre Pio would have been p*ssed off.” The club publicly played it down, showing they are perhaps not on the same page as their coach. That is not the case at Milan.