Maurizio Sarri arrives at Juventus determined to adapt club’s winning tradition to his direct philosophy

If it wasn’t for his age, he would’ve looked like a kid on the first day of school. Visibly uncomfortable in his new uniform, Maurizio Sarri fidgeted in his seat, talked with his head down and was clearly unsure of how to answer a number of the more difficult questions he was being asked. Constantly toying with the piece of card in front of him, he was clearly desperate for a cigarette too, his nerves occasionally getting the better of him.

Of course, it wasn't the start of a fresh semester, but it was a brand new adventure for the 60-year-old. The sun was out in Turin as journalists made their way into the hall named after Juventus legends Gianni and Umberto Agnelli, each waiting to witness Sarri’s official unveiling as the club’s newest Coach.

He entered the room in a sharp navy suit, and one of the first questions was about how he would dress on the touchline of Juventus Stadium. "I'll have to talk to the club, he replied with a smile. “Obviously, when representing the club away from the field I’ll wear what they tell me, and I'd prefer not to wear a shirt & tie on the pitch, but the important thing is that they don't send me out there naked at my age…"

It was the perfect response to a question that hinted at the deeper significance of the appointment, Sarri’s gruff exterior standing in stark contrast with Juve’s prim and proper image as the grand Old Lady of Italian football. Almost everything about the new boss is the antithesis of life with the Turin giants, the club steeped in tradition and running with the smooth efficiency expected at any major company while he toils away in a tracksuit, trainers and a cloud of smoke.

Yet that appears to be precisely why this choice was made. With Mauricio Pochettino and Pep Guardiola unavailable, Juve went for the closest they could get. “We chose Maurizio because we felt he was the best Coach for Juventus right now, just as [Max] Allegri was five years ago and [Antonio] Conte three years before that,” sporting director Fabio Paratici told reporters on Thursday, going on to thank Chelsea for help in closing negotiations quickly.

In mentioning his two Bianconeri predecessors, the club official brought yet another reminder of just how different Sarri is in his approach, yet he also explained that his system begins with the talent he finds at his disposal.

"You can't start with a system, we have to identify the two or three players who can make the difference,” the coach told reporters. “You have to talk to the players, listen to them and then see what system we can use. In recent years, I've used 4-3-3, but my 4-3-3 at Chelsea was very different to the one at Napoli. We had to utilise Eden Hazard's characteristics, because he could change the game, but his presence caused issues defensively so we had to work on hiding that weakness.”

Asked about records he’d like to break, the Tuscan discussed wanting to help Cristiano Ronaldo break the single-season scoring record, a mark set by Gonzalo Higuain when he played under Sarri at Napoli. “I’d like to do that again,” he smiled, but was also quick to acknowledge that the need to secure silverware as a team is paramount.

“I arrive surrounded by sceptics, but then I always have been,” Sarri said. “I had the same at Empoli, Napoli and Chelsea. I arrive at Juventus from Chelsea and the step might spark less scepticism, but in football, I know only one way of removing scepticism from the minds of people: win and do so convincingly. So all I can do is put on a show.”

Yet it is obvious that he will look to combine both those things, the importance of his free-flowing, easy-on-the-eye style of play as important to him as the cigarette he so desperately needed. "I think the objective of enjoying yourself on the field is not antithetical to winning”, Sarri continued. “If a team entertains the crowd and enjoys its football, that can be further fuel towards victory.

"There have been coaches who won with completely different and contrasting philosophies of football and there is no one way to win, so a Coach should stay true to himself and his vision, taking into account the possibility of failure.”

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His stubbornness there has often been criticised in past, particularly during the early months of his Chelsea tenure, but after finishing third in the Premier League and clinching Europa League glory, there is little doubt that Sarri should feel fully vindicated. Yet he did offer some answers that hinted at a fresh understanding, that his time at Stamford Bridge taught him that certain players must be given the freedom to operate outside the system.

“Chelsea have wingers who want the ball at their feet and like to go one-on-one,” Sarri said. “It led to a less fluid style of football, because Napoli had 11 who could play one-touch football. Chelsea had seven or eight who could do that and the others were individuals who could make the difference going by themselves. We were fairly unbeatable in the last two-three months.”

It is almost certain to be that way for Cristiano Ronaldo and co, Sarri explaining that he drills his players on how he expects them to play in the first 70 meters, “but I leave the last third of the pitch to them, that is where the players can improvise a little more.” Juve – who disappointingly crashed out of the Champions League in the quarterfinals – certainly have scope to get better, and the new boss was happy to discuss how he hopes to help them do just that.

“Clearly, my style of football is different, so I have to figure out how much I can bring of my ideas and be productive,” he continued. "I have to gain more points, not fewer, while using my philosophy. It's about the balance of how much is down to the tactics and how much we leave in the hands of the players.”

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While he was understandably reluctant to discuss individual players, the rumours surrounding Paulo Dybala, Douglas Costa and Alex Sandro making such conversations difficult, Sarri did take time to call Federico Bernardeschi an excellent player “who only lacks the consistency that comes with a clearly defined role.”

That the former Fiorentina man had been a utility player under Allegri once again underlined the different approach of the new man, and his opinion on another key midfielder did so even more while revealing the level of work that will be required this summer. “I'd like to see Miralem Pjanic touch the ball 150 times per game,” Sarri said, “but first we need to teach the rest of the team to find him 150 times.”

If Juventus are going to play the kind of “Sarri Ball” that made their new boss famous across Europe, it looks like everyone at the club will need to go back to school because he is certainly not going to be any different.

"I’m a direct person, at times a bit too direct, who needs people to be open and say things face to face,” he said. “This can lead to clashes, but those can be resolved. Rancour only ever occurs because of things that are not said out loud, I’ve never changed the fundamental concepts of my life or my football.”

That approach was the constant theme throughout his introductory press conference and it appears to be just what Juventus want. Once the decision was made to part ways with Allegri – who always championed results over aesthetics – they sought out a man with a vision of how to lead them to glory while making them entertaining to watch, something they visibly lacked over the last 18 months.

Whatever happens, a new suit is certainly not going to make a difference, because if one thing was made clear on Thursday it was the fact that Maurizio Sarri is always going to be Maurizio Sarri.