Arrigo Sacchi has urged AC Milan to hire a different type of manager this summer compared to the top candidate Max Allegri, who doesn’t have the most exciting style of play.
The debate among the Milan fans regarding Allegri has been perfectly highlighted by Sacchi and Capello, with the former opting against him and the latter giving the stamp of approval. In short, the manager has divided everyone when talking about the future of the Rossoneri.
Interviewed for today’s edition of Gazzetta dello Sport (see photo below), the legendary manager Sacchi shared his thoughts on Allegri arriving at the club. He made it clear that he would very much prefer a different type of manager.
What do you think about Allegri’s possible arrival?
“I have great respect for Allegri and his work. He’s a coach who has always done his duty wherever he went. I must admit that I like a different style of football than his. There is nothing wrong with that, it’s a question of taste.
Would you bet on him to relaunch Milan?
“I’m not a director of Milan, so I have no duty to make this choice. I’m watching what happens and, based on the facts, I try to form an opinion. I want to say something very clearly because in the past there have been too many misunderstandings: I have nothing against Allegri, I simply happened to criticise his football and his teams in previous seasons. That’s all, nothing personal.”
In Italy he won a lot: six league titles (one with Milan and five with Juve), three Supercoppa, five Coppa Italia. That would be a guarantee, right?
“Allegri is a coach who has perfectly followed the footsteps of Italian football history, based on defense, counter-attacks and high-level players. These are his ideas, and with these ideas he deserves credit for having achieved important successes.
But if you ask me: have his teams played well? Well, then, I must admit that I enjoy seeing collective and offensive football, and not individual and defensive football. It’s a question of points of view.”
No international titles: is that what you accuse him of?
“My observation is that in Europe, leading the strongest and most economically powerful Italian team, that is Juve, he hasn’t won trophies. In Italy, there is no style, the teams do not have it: the clubs think about buying big name players, they spend and spend and then in Europe we do not move forward. This is the problem.”
Milan must rebuild itself and it must do so through victories. Allegri, in this respect, is a guarantee. Don’t you think?
You can’t say he’s not a top-level coach, of course. In Italy he knows how to win, he knows how to manage a group, he knows how to convince players to play his type of football. My concern is another: Milan has always had a public accustomed to the stages and international successes.
“It’s the Italian club with the most European and intercontinental trophies. Allegri hasn’t won these trophies at Juve. I hope he can do it with the Rossoneri: it would make me really happy since I’m madly in love with the Devil, and everyone knows it.”
There are rumors that Allegri could start again with Leao. What do you think?
“I evaluate what I see. Leao was decisive in the Scudetto season with Pioli. Then he had a decline, in my opinion determined by character issues. This year he had some problems both with Fonseca and with Conceicao.
I’m convinced that he has great technical and athletic qualities, but to become a champion, and he would have the possibilities, something else is needed. I hope that Allegri, who is also a great motivator, can bring out in him what we have not yet seen.”
With Allegri, could Milan return to fighting for the Scudetto?
“I repeat: he’s very good in Italy. If he really gets to sit on the Rossoneri bench, I hope he can bring my favourite team back to the top. If he also gives the Rossoneri a style, that is, if he makes them play a more modern and more European style of football, I will be even happier.”
In addition to Allegri, the likes of Roberto De Zerbi, Cesc Fabregas and Antonio Conte have also been mentioned in the media. No decision has been made, in other words, as Milan are still in the evaluation phase.
