2 hours ago
33
Massimiliano Allegri returns to Cagliari tonight, the club that gave him a launching pad for an illustrious coaching career.
As La Gazzetta dello Sport (seen below) recall, Allegri often says: “It’s a good thing I went to Cagliari. I had spent my youth completely messing around, but starting in the 1991-1992 season, something changed radically with the call from Pescara in Serie B.
“There I met Giovanni Galeone… As a player, I understood that I had to take things seriously. We won the title, and in the following one, in Serie A, I scored 12 goals, becoming, along with Francesco Dell’Anno, the transfer market man.
“After that extraordinary year, I could even aspire to a great team. I ended up in Cagliari, where I met President Cellino, a truly brilliant person. Cagliari had a historic group, even if the president was a novice.
“I was a midfielder, but there I played as a holding midfielder. I spent two and a half years with good, but certainly not excellent, performance.”
The thanks are to Cellino, Max emphasises: “Why do I still say today: thank goodness I went to Cagliari? Because right around that time, look at me, I started thinking that if there could be a president in Italy who would give me the chance to become a coach, well, it was Cellino.
“And when, years later, I found myself coaching Sassuolo, with whom we were about to go to Serie B, I said to myself: ‘I’ll coach Cagliari. It was something I felt inside. After all, in the end, it all adds up anyway’.”
A rocky start
Allegri’s start to life as Cagliari boss was not good. A 4-1 loss to Lazio was followed by a 2-0 defeat to Siena, a 1-0 loss to Juventus, a 1-0 defeat to Atalanta and a 2-0 loss at Lecce. He was by far the favourite among bookmakers to be sacked first among Serie A coaching.
Cellino kept his faith in Allegri, and in round six they drew 0-0 against Ancelotti’s Milan with Gattuso, Seedorf, Kakà, Ronaldhino and Pato, plus Dida, Pippo Inzaghi and Shevchenko on the bench. It’s a turning point.
Max recalled: “One point in six games, yet the team played well. I had the feeling they wouldn’t fire me and that only with positivity could we get a result. And indeed, we finished the season with 53 points.” A great second half of the season, and a great comeback.
In an interview with Paolo Condò of La Gazzetta, Allegri stated: “My boys are courageous, they’re not afraid of making a bad impression or getting a 5 in the report card. When the time comes, they take responsibility. That’s the secret.
“In the most difficult moment, after the five defeats, I didn’t change a thing. The recklessness of youth, I guess. We lost, yes, but we played well, and then Cellino gave me strength in the dressing room, avoiding the threat of dismissal.
“I believe in balanced but attacking football, played with courage and having fun. That’s just how I am; I couldn’t spend my days always sad or angry; it’s not in my nature. At work, I’m a real pain in the ass.
“But, once we’re off the field, if any of my twenty-year-olds want some romantic advice, I’ll gladly give it to them. With all the mess I made at that age, it would be a shame if I were a little priest.”
Allegri won the Serie A Golden Bench. He took first place, with Inter’s José Mourinho in second. The Serie B award went to Antonio Conte (Bari). Allegri spent two season at Cagliari and in the second, he is dismissed in the 33rd round after losing to Milan and Juventus.
Then, through repeated twists and turns, life brought him to Milan and Juventus (in both cases for two spells). He returned to Sardinia with Milan and Juventus and never lost again. His mentor, Giovanni Galeone, said: “Surprised? I’m not. Max was born to win.”
English (US) ·