Serie A has experienced an unusually high number of coaching changes between the end of the previous season and the start of the current one. Maurizio Sarri, the new head coach of Lazio, shared his perspective on this trend with Sky Sport.
“It`s not exactly a good sign,” Sarri commented. “It suggests that many coaches are given very little time. Jürgen Klopp once remarked, ‘Anyone who judges a coach after just one year of work understands nothing about football.’ Here, judgements are often made after three games. Building a `long cycle` – a sustained project – has always been challenging in Italy; only Gian Piero Gasperini has truly managed to achieve it successfully.”
Sarri emphasized that a coach can only truly establish a distinct style of play and mentality over a significant period. He pointed to Atalanta under Gasperini as an example where the approach is now embraced by the entire city. “This is unfortunately difficult in Italy, but these are the most beautiful stories in football,” he added.
He contrasted the Italian situation with successful long-term tenures seen elsewhere, such as Manchester United with Sir Alex Ferguson, Liverpool with Klopp, and Manchester City with Pep Guardiola. “These are coaches who have influenced not just how the game is played, but the mindset of an entire club environment and fanbase, which probably triggers more significant developments,” Sarri explained. “In Italy, it`s all much more difficult.”
