Former Lazio and Napoli coach Maurizio Sarri has lamented the fact that AC Milan showed no interest in making him their new coach this summer.
Speaking to Corriere della Sera (via Radio Rossonera), the Tuscan coach was asked about the number of coaches who have changed jobs in Serie A recently and why he has not ended up on the bench of any of them.
The likes of Juventus, Bologna, Fiorentina, Milan, Monza, and Napoli have seen their coaches change, with many of them moving between some of the aforementioned clubs.
Sarri was the Lazio coach until the latter stages of last season but appeared to fall out with the hierarchy in Rome.
According to Sarri, he would have expected more conversations with some of the clubs that were looking for a new coach. When pressed by the journalist about whether Milan and Fiorentina are the teams he had in mind, he called them both ‘suitable’. He was considered by Milan.
“Honestly, I am a bit sorry, there were free roles in teams that I imagined could do it for me. I wasn’t even approached for a chat. But I deserved to be listened to for at least a quarter of an hour,” Sarri said.
In terms of the reason for Sarri being overlooked by these clubs, he thinks it is down to age and a greater focus on young and energetic coaches rather than the experience someone like him can bring.
“You focus on young coaches, and that’s fine too. But experience remains a value, it should not be thrown away. Just look at the age of the coaches who have won the Europa Conference League, Europa League and Champions League this year: 63, 66 and 65 [Carlo Ancelotti with Real Madrid, Gian Piero Gasperini with Atalanta and Jose Luis Mendilibar with Olympiacos] This is no coincidence,” Sarri explained.