Turin: Former Juventus manager Maurizio Sarri made a huge statement as he described managing Cristiano Ronaldo ‘is not a simple’ affair when asked about his time at the club. The 62-year-old was at the Turin club for a single season (2019-20) winning the Serie A title.
“Ronaldo’s management is not simple, from all points of view,” Sarri told radio station Sport Italia. “He is a multinational company, he has personal interests that must coincide with football.”
Despite winning the Serie A, Sarri was sacked following Juventus’ exit at the hands of Lyon in the 2019 Champions League. Ronaldo finished that season at a career-high with 30 goals in the league. Sarri stated that coaching Ronaldo is a tough job as one needs to keep in mind his personal interests along with the club’s as well.
🏳️🏴👏🏽 #juventus pic.twitter.com/GkNBLt9Kz0
— Cristiano Ronaldo (@Cristiano) April 6, 2021
“His interests go beyond what is normal, beyond the team or club. I am a coach, not a manager. Ronaldo, however, brings the numbers at the end of the year. But in recent years, I hear a lot about players and little about teams,” Sarri added.
Sarri, who is currently managing Lazio, was also vocal about his discontent with the treatment metted out to him at Juventus. He said that the Serie A win wasn’t appreciated enough as much as under Andrea Pirlo after they narrowly qualified for the Champions League on the final day securing the fourth position in the Serie A.
“The Scudetto was taken for granted at Juventus, both on the outside and on the inside,” he stated. “We didn’t even celebrate. Everyone went to dinner on their own. Probably the best year to go to Juventus was this, the fourth place was celebrated.
“In football, victory is not a foregone conclusion. Sometimes you work hard and you can’t win,” added Sarri.
