Maurizio Sarri is an Italian professional football manager who is the current manager of Serie A club Lazio.
24 Facts About Maurizio Sarri
2.
In 2014, Maurizio Sarri won promotion to Serie A with Empoli, and after preserving their place in the top flight he was hired by Napoli.
3.
Son of a Tuscan worker, Maurizio Sarri was raised in Castro and then in Faella, where he divided his time as an amateur footballer and banker for Banca Monte dei Paschi di Siena in Tuscany.
4.
Maurizio Sarri played only at an amateur level, in Figline's local team, having failed trials with Torino and Fiorentina.
5.
Maurizio Sarri later refused a move to Pontedera, and subsequently retired with Figline after struggling with injuries.
6.
Maurizio Sarri used to work in the bank in the morning, and trained and played in games in the afternoon and evening.
7.
In 2000, Maurizio Sarri signed for Sansovino in Eccellenza, and achieved promotion to Serie D with the side in his first season; he would remain two further seasons in charge of the club, reaching the play-offs in his last season.
8.
On 18 June 2005, Maurizio Sarri resigned from Sangiovannese, and was appointed manager of Serie B side Pescara on 9 July.
9.
On 18 July 2007 Maurizio Sarri joined Avellino in the second tier, but resigned on 23 August after severe altercations with the club's board.
10.
On 23 September 2008, Maurizio Sarri was named Perugia manager in the place of Giovanni Pagliari.
11.
Maurizio Sarri resigned from Alessandria on 24 June 2011, and on 6 July 2011, he was appointed at the helm of Sorrento.
12.
Maurizio Sarri coached the club through the first months of the season until the mid-season break, playing an attractive, slick brand of attacking football.
13.
On 11 June 2015, Maurizio Sarri left Empoli and signed for the club of his city of birth, Napoli, replacing Rafael Benitez, who left after missing out on a UEFA Champions League place.
14.
Maurizio Sarri extended his stay at the club until 2020 on 27 May 2016.
15.
However, Maurizio Sarri vetoed the possibility of spending the money on a like-for-like replacement, instead, spending sparingly on weaker positions in the side to improve on depth, while tinkering with his squad to compensate for the loss of Higuain.
16.
On 23 May 2018, Maurizio Sarri was replaced as head coach by Carlo Ancelotti.
17.
On 14 July 2018, Maurizio Sarri was appointed head coach of Chelsea, replacing Antonio Conte who was sacked the day before.
18.
An irate Maurizio Sarri nearly stormed into the stadium tunnel, and was later held back by Chelsea defender Antonio Rudiger from confronting the keeper.
19.
From a tactical standpoint, Maurizio Sarri is known for his intelligence, attention to detail, and his meticulous approach as a manager when it comes to preparing matches during weekly training sessions.
20.
Maurizio Sarri often has his team prepare many different plays on set-pieces.
21.
Maurizio Sarri received his coaching diploma in 2006 through the Technical Centre of Coverciano; the title of his thesis was "La preparazione settimanale della partita".
22.
Maurizio Sarri has stood out for his attire; unlike many other managers who wore suits in Italian football, he usually wore a tracksuit during matches.
23.
Maurizio Sarri is a heavy smoker and in 2018, Napoli's UEFA Europa League opponents, RB Leipzig, built a special smoking section in the locker-room area of their stadium, Red Bull Arena, specifically for him.
24.
Maurizio Sarri responded to the accusations by saying that he was not a homophobe, stating "what happens on the field, stays on the field".