Arrigo Sacchi believes Vincenzo Montella is “painting a masterpiece” at Milan, and also praises Inter’s Stefano Pioli.
Montella took over the Rossoneri in the summer following another disappointing season, but the former Fiorentina Coach has turned them into Champions League contenders and won the Supercoppa.
“Montella isn’t doing well, he’s doing very well,” Sacchi enthused in an interview with Gazzetta dello Sport.
Arrigo Sacchi believes Vincenzo Montella is “painting a masterpiece” at Milan, and also praises Inter’s Stefano Pioli.
Montella took over the Rossoneri in the summer following another disappointing season, but the former Fiorentina Coach has turned them into Champions League contenders and won the Supercoppa.
“Montella isn’t doing well, he’s doing very well,” Sacchi enthused in an interview with Gazzetta dello Sport.
“He’s painting a masterpiece. I wasn’t sure at the start because I could see he belonged to that group of attacking Coaches and once he got to Milan he seemed to pull the handbrake.
“Now though I like the style of play that I see.
“The youngsters? That’s the aspect I like most, it takes patience with young people and you have to be able to teach them. Montella is a good teacher.
“Look at [Mattia] De Sciglio, he’s regained his confidence. Or [Alessio] Romagnoli who is finally showing that he’s worth all the money that was spent on him.
“Then there’s [Manuel] Locatelli, [Giacomo] Bonaventura, [Gianluca] Lapadula… talented, gritty, ready to help each other.
“The result is that, position in the table aside, the fans don’t whistle anymore. Now they push the team forward.”
Most have suggested that the Diavolo will need some January reinforcements to sustain their push for the top-three, but Sacchi sees it differently.
“I’ve never believed in the January market, ever since I was Coaching in Serie C and I asked my President for a striker ‘to aim for promotion’.
“He bought me a full-back and we didn’t reach the objective. No, Milan have to go on as they are, working and listening to Montella.”
The former Italy CT is a Milan legend, but he was also asked for his opinion on their city rivals, Inter.
“Pioli, when he was hired, found himself in the worst position a Coach can be in,” Sacchi noted.
“He had a team he didn’t build, little interaction with the players and not just at a technical level, psychologically. He seems to have steadied the ship, no?
“It’s not just about winning, but how the team approaches games and opponents. I see an Inter with team spirit, with players who sacrifice for each other, run and turn around games that seem lost. That takes character.
“He [Pioli] is a modest and competent person, I’ve known him for many years. He’s always trying to improve, he’s never content.
“Early in his career his teams didn’t look to get on the front foot, they concentrated on the break. Now they try to propose their game, their identity. Well done.
“The team now has players who follow the Coach, there’s the enthusiasm and self-esteem that winning brings.
“There’s one downside though. It’s fine that the team is called Internazionale and the owners are Chinese, but I wish there were more Italians in the squad.”