Maurizio Sarri

Maurizio Sarri
Born	(1959-01-10) January 10, 1959 Italy
Occupation	Football coach
Years active	1990–present
Known for	Coaching Lazio, Juventus, Chelsea, Napoli, Empoli

Maurizio Sarri (; born 10 January 1959) is an Italian football coach, presently in charge of Serie A outfit Lazio.

Unlike many peers, Sarri never competed as a professional player; he participated at amateur level as a centre back while simultaneously working in banking. His breakthrough into professional management occurred in 2005 with Pescara competing in Serie B. In 2014, he achieved promotion to Serie A with Empoli and ensured their survival in the top division, which earned him the managerial role at Napoli. During his tenure at Napoli, Sarri collected several individual accolades and guided the team to a second-place finish in the 2017–18 campaign. Subsequently, he transitioned to English football with Premier League club Chelsea, where he secured the UEFA Europa League title in his sole season.

Sarri returned to Italy in 2019 to lead Juventus, capturing the Serie A championship in his debut season and becoming the oldest coach to claim the league title. After departing Juventus, he was appointed Lazio's head coach in 2021, stepped down in 2024, and then resumed the position again in June 2025.

Early life

Born to a Tuscan laborer—his father Amerigo was a former professional cyclist who later worked as a crane operator at Italsider in Bagnoli, Naples—Sarri grew up first in Castro within Bergamo province and subsequently in Faella (Castelfranco Piandiscò, Arezzo). He balanced playing amateur football alongside a banking career at Banca Monte dei Paschi di Siena, which involved assignments across European cities including London, Zürich, and Luxembourg.

Playing as a centre back, Sarri completed his education in Figline Valdarno, where he was classmates with David Ermini. His footballing experience was limited to amateur participation with Figline’s local side; unsuccessful trials at both Torino and Fiorentina followed. At 19 years old, a potential transfer to Montevarchi collapsed due to a demanded compensation of 50 million lire. He later declined an offer from Pontedera and eventually retired because of injury problems.

Sarri maintained a routine of morning shifts in banking paired with afternoon and evening football training and matches. At age 28 in 1990, he commenced coaching with lower-tier club Tegoleto, ultimately leaving his banking profession to dedicate himself fully to football management.

Early career

Sarri’s coaching journey started in 1990 when he took charge of Stia competing in Seconda Categoria. The next year, he assumed control of Faellese and succeeded in promoting them to Promozione. Subsequent appointments at Cavriglia and Antella saw him elevate both teams to the Eccellenza division. In 1998, Sarri was hired by Valdema but was relieved of duties the following January. He returned to Tegoleto within the same tier during 1999.

In 2000, Sarri took over at Sansovino competing in Eccellenza, achieving promotion to Serie D during his debut season and leading the team to play-off contention by his final year. This success paved the way for a move to Sangiovannese in Serie C2 in 2003, where he secured promotion to Serie C1 immediately.

On 18 June 2005, Sarri resigned from Sangiovannese and was appointed manager of Pescara on 9 July for their campaign in Serie B. After steering them clear of relegation, he left on 30 June 2006 and soon after took over fellow second-tier side Arezzo on 1 November, succeeding Antonio Conte. His tenure ended on 13 March 2007 when Conte returned following Sarri’s dismissal.

In July 2007, Sarri joined Avellino, but resigned within a month due to disagreements with club officials. On 31 December that year, he replaced Davide Pellegrini at Hellas Verona, only to be dismissed on 28 February 2008 amid poor results.

Sarri was appointed manager of Perugia on 23 September 2008 but was sacked by February 2009. He resumed coaching duties on 24 March 2010 with Grosseto. On 6 July that year, he took charge of Alessandria competing in Lega Pro Prima Divisione, guiding them to promotion play-offs before resigning on 24 June 2011.

On 6 July 2011, Sarri became head coach of Sorrento, implementing an attractive attacking philosophy that propelled the team to sixth place mid-season; nevertheless, he was dismissed on 13 December.

Empoli

On 25 June 2012, Sarri was appointed head coach of the Tuscan Serie B side Empoli. During his debut season, he guided the team to a fourth-place finish and a spot in the promotion playoffs, where they were ultimately defeated by regional adversaries Livorno in the final. The next campaign saw Sarri lead Empoli to second place, securing direct promotion back to Serie A after a six-year absence. In the 2014–15 Serie A season, Empoli managed to avoid relegation by ending the season in 15th position.

Napoli

Sarri departed Empoli on 11 June 2015 to take charge of his hometown club Napoli, succeeding Rafael Benítez following the club’s failure to qualify for the UEFA Champions League.

In his inaugural season with Napoli, Sarri brought in key signings such as Elseid Hysaj, Pepe Reina, and Allan, who became integral to the squad as Napoli finished second behind Juventus. On 27 May 2016, he extended his contract through 2020. That summer, Juventus secured Gonzalo Higuaín from Napoli for €90 million. Instead of replacing Higuaín directly, Sarri focused on strengthening weaker areas and modifying tactical approaches, notably shifting Dries Mertens into a central attacking role—a move that resulted in Mertens netting 28 goals during the 2016–17 season. Napoli ended the campaign in third place, with Sarri earning both Serie A Coach of the Year and the Enzo Bearzot Award.

During the 2015–16 season, Sarri’s Napoli held first place at midseason, clinching the "Campioni d'Inverno" title for the first time in 26 years. Although they ultimately finished third, Sarri expressed confidence that his squad had championship-winning potential. In 2017–18, Napoli set a club record by winning eight consecutive league matches and postponed their initial league defeat until December. They once again claimed "Campioni d'Inverno" but concluded the season as runners-up, four points behind Juventus. On 23 May 2018, Carlo Ancelotti succeeded Sarri as head coach.

Chelsea

On 14 July 2018, Sarri was named head coach of Chelsea, taking over from Antonio Conte. His competitive debut resulted in a 2–0 defeat to Manchester City in the Community Shield on 5 August. The following weekend marked his first victory with a commanding 3–0 Premier League win against Huddersfield Town. Sarri set a club record by remaining unbeaten in his opening 12 Premier League fixtures until suffering a 3–1 loss to Tottenham Hotspur on 24 November.

In the 2019 EFL Cup Final versus reigning champions Manchester City, an incident occurred when Sarri attempted to substitute goalkeeper Kepa Arrizabalaga for Willy Caballero, but Arrizabalaga refused to leave the pitch during the penalty shootout. The episode sparked public attention as Chelsea eventually lost 3–4 on penalties. Both parties later clarified it was a misunderstanding concerning Arrizabalaga’s fitness.

Sarri secured his first major silverware on 29 May 2019 when Chelsea defeated Arsenal 4–1 in the 2019 UEFA Europa League Final held in Baku; Chelsea completed the tournament without defeat. After the conclusion of the 2018–19 season, Chelsea announced Sarri’s departure to join Juventus, citing his wish to be closer to his elderly family members in Italy. Frank Lampard succeeded him as head coach.

Juventus

On 16 June 2019, Juventus secured Sarri on a three-year deal. In August that year, he was diagnosed with pneumonia and consequently missed Juventus’ opening two matches of the season against Parma and Napoli.

Under Sarri’s leadership, Juventus competed in the 2019 Supercoppa Italiana on 22 December due to their previous league triumph but were defeated 3–1 by Lazio in Riyadh. On 17 June 2020, Juventus fell to Sarri’s former club Napoli in the Coppa Italia Final, losing on penalties after a goalless draw. On 26 July, Juventus clinched their ninth consecutive Serie A championship with a 2–0 victory over Sampdoria, marking Sarri’s first major domestic trophy in Italy. Nevertheless, on 8 August 2020, Sarri was dismissed following Juventus’ elimination from the Champions League round of 16.

Lazio

Following a year away from coaching, Sarri was appointed as head coach of Lazio on 9 June 2021, signing a contract for two years. He made his first appearance on 21 August, leading the team to a 3–1 victory against Empoli in the league. Lazio concluded the Serie A season in fifth place and were knocked out by Porto during the knockout rounds of the Europa League. On 2 June 2022, his contract was extended through to 2025.

In Sarri’s second campaign at the helm, Lazio achieved a runner-up finish in the Serie A, thereby earning a spot in the 2023–24 UEFA Champions League. The squad ended third in Group F of the Europa League, subsequently moving into the UEFA Europa Conference League, where they were eliminated by AZ in the round of 16. During his third season, Sarri successfully guided Lazio into the Champions League knockout stage. On 12 March 2024, he stepped down from his position as head coach.

After a hiatus lasting fifteen months, Sarri returned to manage Lazio once again, signing a two-year contract beginning on 2 June 2025.

Tactics

Sarri is widely acknowledged for his tactical acumen, thorough preparation, and detailed training routines conducted weekly. His teams employ diverse set-piece strategies and are typically structured around a defensive line of four players positioned high up the pitch, utilizing an offside trap combined with zonal marking. Defenders are drilled to move cohesively and concentrate on tracking the ball rather than man-marking opponents. Central to his tactical framework is a deep-lying playmaker role—exemplified by players like Jorginho—while full-backs frequently overlap to add width. His system prioritizes energetic wingers, defenders and goalkeepers comfortable with ball distribution, and industrious players capable of sustaining an intense pressing style.

From a defensive standpoint, Sarri’s squads maintain compact lines high up the field and apply vigorous pressing to swiftly recover possession. He has employed formations including 4–3–1–2 and 4–2–3–1; however, he is predominantly associated with a possession-oriented 4–3–3 setup that he refined at Napoli. Notably, following Gonzalo Higuaín’s transfer and Arkadiusz Milik’s injury during the 2016–17 season, Sarri innovatively converted Dries Mertens into a false nine role, which substantially increased Mertens’ goal-scoring contributions.

Sarri obtained his coaching certification in 2006 from Coverciano’s Technical Centre, submitting a thesis centered on weekly match preparation strategies. He draws inspiration from Arrigo Sacchi’s methods and is recognized for his straightforward demeanor and preference for wearing tracksuits rather than conventional suits. During his tenure at Chelsea, Sarri eased some of the stringent dietary restrictions and curfew policies imposed by his predecessor Antonio Conte, fostering a more positive atmosphere within the squad—a change appreciated by players such as Antonio Rüdiger.

Reception

Teams managed by Sarri are distinguished by an appealing, offensive style that emphasizes ball possession, dynamic off-the-ball positioning, and rapid, concise passing sequences. This method is frequently referred to as "Sarri-ball" or "liquid football," with the French publication L'Équipe labeling it as "vertical tiki-taka." The Italian reference work Treccani introduced the term "Sarrismo" to characterize this attacking and visually striking approach.

His contemporary and inventive tactics, combined with swift counterattacks, have garnered admiration from experts, players, and fellow coaches such as Pep Guardiola and Cesc Fàbregas. In 2018, the legendary former coach Arrigo Sacchi praised Sarri's Napoli as "the most significant phenomenon witnessed in Italy over the past two decades."

Although his tactical methods have been widely praised, Sarri initially faced scrutiny for a lack of silverware until guiding Chelsea to triumph in the 2019 Europa League. Additionally, some observers have labeled him as occasionally obstinate and tactically rigid.

Personal life

Sarri is known for his heavy smoking habit; notably, during Napoli's UEFA Europa League tie against RB Leipzig in 2018, the German club arranged a dedicated smoking area within their stadium's locker room specifically for him. He is often seen chewing on cigarette butts while standing on the sidelines.

Beyond his native Italian, Sarri communicates in English, though he sometimes relies on an interpreter during media engagements.

Controversy

In the 2015–16 season, Sarri was involved in a contentious incident with then-Inter Milan coach Roberto Mancini during a Coppa Italia fixture, where Mancini accused him of uttering a homophobic insult. Sarri denied these allegations, remarking that "what happens on the field, stays on the field." Subsequently, Lega Serie A imposed a €20,000 fine and a two-match Coppa Italia suspension on Sarri for "directing extremely insulting epithets at the opposing team's coach."

In March 2018, Sarri was criticized for allegedly making sexist comments towards female journalist Titti Improta following a post-match interview; he later issued an apology, explaining that his remarks were intended as a joke.

At his inaugural Chelsea press conference in 2018, Sarri expressed remorse regarding these controversies, underscoring that he does not hold homophobic, sexist, or racist views and hoped to prove this through his professional conduct and results.

Managerial statistics

Managerial performance by club and period

Club	Start Year	End Year	Statistics					Ref.
			P	W	D	L	Win %
Cavriglia	1993	1996
Antella	1996	1998
Valdema	1998	1999
Tegoleto	1 July 1999	30 June 2000
Sansovino	1 July 2000	30 June 2003
Sangiovannese	1 July 2003	18 June 2005
Pescara	9 July 2005	30 June 2006
Arezzo	31 October 2006	13 March 2007
U.S. Avellino 1912	18 July 2007	23 August 2007
Hellas Verona	31 December 2007	28 February 2008
Perugia Calcio	23 September 2008	15 February 2009
Grosseto	24 March 2010	24 June 2010
U.S. Alessandria Calcio 1912	6 July 2010	24 June 2011
Sorrento Calcio	6 July 2011	13 December 2011
Empoli F.C.	12 August 2012	31 May 2015
S.S.C. Napoli	12 June 2015	23 May 2018
Chelsea F.C.	14 July 2018	16 June 2019
maxwidth =  65 px  align =  center	Juventus FC	16 June 2019	8 August 2020 Template:WDL |
S.S. Lazio	9 June 2021	12 March 2024 Template:WDL |
S.S. Lazio	2 June 2025	Present Template:WDL |

Managerial Achievements

Sansovino

• Coppa Italia Serie D: 2002–03 season

Chelsea

• UEFA Europa League: 2018–19 campaign

Juventus

• Serie A title: 2019–20 season

Personal Awards

• Panchina d'Argento: awarded in 2013–14
• Panchina d'Oro: received in 2015–16
• Enzo Bearzot Award: honored in 2017
• Serie A Coach of the Year: earned for 2016–17
• Serie A Coach of the Month: March 2023

See also

• List of UEFA Cup and Europa League winning managers