By now, fans have become accustomed to seeing Massimiliano Allegri run to the changing room before half-time and full-time, but why does he do it?
La Gazzetta dello Sport recall the 47th minute of the derby on Sunday, with only a few seconds left until half-time. A mix-up between Estupinan and Maignan leads to a corner for Inter. Allegri is well outside his technical area: he feels the weight of that last ball to defend before returning to the locker room.
Frozen in his posture, he casts a scathing glance at his area to check if the defence (zonal marking on corners) is properly set up. Then he turns to his bench and heads for the dressing room. He didn;t even wait to see the outcome, and instead darted for the tunnel.
Why run off?
Allegri experiences matches with maximum tension, whether it’s a derby or a Saturday afternoon against the bottom-placed team. His mind is a whirlwind of numbers to be achieved and moments in the game where he demands a certain level of control from his teams.
If not, his reaction is well-known: raging at whoever is in ear shot, kicking the ball, tearing his jacket off and throwing it to the ground. Behind his character, however, lies a peculiar habit: making early exits to the changing room. This year, it’s happened more than once.
In the derby, he even did so twice, leaving even before Maignan cleared the final ball in the 95th minute, with his entire bench standing ready to celebrate. In Florence, he lost his temper after Brescianini’s late crossbar hit, leaving before a Fiorentina corner in the 97th minute.
In Turin, against Juventus, in the final moments he crouched down, asked how much longer there was and decided to withdraw before the final whistle, furious: “Now in the dressing room, no one’s saying a word.”
There’s no clear answer to the reasons for these early departures. Emotional management is certainly a factor. In an Inter-Juve match three years ago, Allegri stormed off before the end, justifying himself with this: “I was getting nervous. I’m on a yellow card and didn’t want to get booked or sent off. Besides, at that point, there was no longer any need for me: the team were defending well.”
Superstition, one might even say. What if his absence from key moments of matches almost unconsciously brought good luck to his teams? Max has always had his beliefs, like the Excel spreadsheet he keeps in his head on the points needed each year to win titles or get top four.
Almost never – win or lose – does he shake hands with the opposing coach at the end of a match, a ritual shared by all his colleagues. Three years ago, when Juventus lost 5-1 at Napoli, Spalletti was forced to chase him with his arm already outstretched to receive a handshake, while Max walked off.
Allegri certainly isn’t the only one in the world to head straight to the dressing room after a match. He’s always shown great respect for his colleagues, even without a greeting on the pitch. Certainly, however, these early departures make him almost a special case.
He’s changed a lot over the years. The Allegri of Cagliari was a rookie: more carefree, less pressured, always ironic but calm. From his first spell at Milan, he acquired the label of a winner, one that later stuck with him, especially during his years at Juventus.
He may not believe too much in luck, but he certainly believes in taking the dressing room steps before the others. Superstition or instinct, it makes little difference.
Write a whole article about nothing ! Reaching a bit ??