BERGAMO – Maurizio Sarri was the last coach to win the Scudetto with Juventus, whom he will face in Turin as Atalanta coach. Speaking to Sky Sport, the coach confessed he doesn't have great memories of his time at Juve during the pandemic-torn season, and in any case, he has no regrets. The Bianconeri, under Spalletti, cruised through the Europa League against Dutch side NEC, recovering from the league defeat in Reggio Emilia against Sassuolo. Atalanta was defeated at home by Cagliari in the match where the team, more and better than other times, came closer to Sarri's formation and ideas. A step forward that wasn't supported by the result.
In the interview, Sarri reiterated that his teams need time to assimilate and fully express his style of play. After two victories, he suffered two defeats. In his coaching experience, he mentioned the very comforting one from the start with Chelsea, and recalled his start to the season with Napoli (“after four games we had two or three points”), admitting that difficulties have arisen constantly throughout his career. “The reason is clear,” Sarri explained, “the more the previous way of playing was completely different from mine, the more difficult it becomes at the beginning. It's a year of construction.” he added, with reference to Atalanta – both the sporting director and the club do not set short-term material objectives, but talk about building to have solid medium-term objectives”. “The formation? It's a waste of time. What really matters is the defense and the attacking strategy, the way the team moves and thinks collectively. – Sarri underlined, implying that what counts is the harmony that is built through hard work and constant application.“Important players have arrived, some still in training and development, some already trained and ready. Overall, they have arrived with quality players, and that's what matters. The thing they have in common is their willingness to work, and that's the most important element in building something together.". Sarri has made it clear that the Conference League must be given the importance it deserves.“European competitions take a toll on the league, in terms of energy and necessary rotation, but this is part of the game and is nothing new to anyone. We want to approach it with the right seriousness and ambition.”.
As for the lineup against Juventus, with Gaetano's return, the midfield could feature Kessie alongside Ederson, with Samardzic initially excluded. Scamacca is likely to remain in the center, with De Ketelaere and Rowe playing wide. In defense, Sarri is expected to return to the lineup of Bellanova, Kossounou, and Scalvini, with one of Bernasconi and Kolasinac.
