Former Milan coach Arrigo Sacchi said the English Premier League has ‘the best coaches in the world’ and claims his ideas were ‘never welcome’ in Italy.

The former coach spoke to former Liverpool full-back Jamie Carragher to promote his new book, ‘The Immortals’ and addressed several topics in an interview with the Telegraph.

Sacchi picked up eight trophies during his time as Milan coach, including one Scudetto and two European Cups.

The former Italy CT spent four seasons at San Siro between 1987 and 1991 and returned for a six-month stint in 1996-97 after five years with the Azzurri.

Sacchi explained his ideas to Carragher, talking about the required ‘spirit and mentality’ to succeed.

“There were always four things I would look for in a player: intelligence, modesty, humility and desire,” Sacchi told the Telegraph.

“When I first arrived at Milan there was a player I didn’t want because I found out he would go out every night and sleep at the training ground. [Milan’s owner at the time Silvio] Berlusconi asked me, ‘well, who should we sign?’

Sacchi: ‘Milan fans repaid Donnarumma betrayal’

“I told him nobody – we should use his understudy, because he was modest, and he wanted to learn. Alessandro Costacurta said that he thought I would be gone in a month.

“The profile and the mentality of the player was vital. Daniele Massaro was a technically excellent player but at the start he did not work as hard, so he had to learn. Ruud Gullit was a massive influence not just technically, but from a human point of view. His spirit was as important as his talent. Hard work, as well as the style of play, was at the heart of everything.”

Sacchi revealed Ajax’s ‘total football’ was his inspiration during the time in the Milan dugout and stressed ‘winning without style is no victory at all’.

“There are three great teams, each 20 years after the other,” he continued. “The Ajax of [Rinus] Michels, my Milan and the Barcelona of Pep [Guardiola].

“Ajax – that total football team – was a big influence. And when I was a kid, I loved the Real Madrid of Di Stefano, Puskas and Gento. Football for me has always been a show; a spectacle. Its purpose is to entertain. Winning without style is no victory at all.”

The former coach changed everything at Milan and helped steer the then inexperienced players to the top of European football, meaning his ideas were in demand across the continent.

Sacchi revealed he was invited by the English FA to speak about the Rossoneri and claimed he can still see his methods in use in England.

“Once, I was invited over to England by the FA, to speak about my Milan team,” Sacchi continued. “There was another time when a group of French coaches came to watch my team train: Gerard Houllier, Luis Fernandez, Arsene Wenger. They said they had never seen a team work so hard.

The 75-year-old pointed at England when asked about the strongest coaches in the world, despite the return of Max Allegri, Luciano Spalletti, Jose Mourinho and Maurizio Sarri in Serie A.

“England now has the best coaches in the world,” he said. “Pep and [Liverpool coach] Klopp are two greats who allow football to move forward. Without coaches like that, football dies.

“I watched Liverpool play Barcelona and I was emotional. I was emotional because it was not just a team winning, it was an entire city. In the next life, I want to be a coach in England.

“The football intelligence of the fans was always different in England. But I am worried because the clubs are being bought by people from America and the Middle East who do not share that understanding.

“The lesson of Milan has been learned and developed everywhere except Italy. The prophet is never welcome in his own country.”

6 thought on “Sacchi: ‘The prophet is never welcome in his own country’”
  1. Sacchi is the same idiot who harboured ill-wishes against Il Divin Codino, and who didn’t think Roby was world-class.

    What a pontificating and pretentious douchenozzle he is.

  2. Did you put in that novella written by a ghost writer I would imagine, of yours how you fouled up 94 final (Brazil had romario and bebeto and other elite players and they could not score yet you messed it all up) why? Your monstrosity of an ego benching signori, not even on as a supersub and then he was even backlisted. You cost me a world cup my dear watson! Did you know that when i speak to older generation Italians they always complain to me about this-why you did this to signori, I noticed that you never mention his name when you open your mouth, very odd.

  3. @Jarod – you literally stole my response and I can attest to what you are saying because I get the same thing ! That argument you had with Signori cost us a world cup – your bias towards your Milan players and in this case Massaro is what you will be remembered for ! how you cannot call up Gianluca Vialli is beyond me !!

  4. In the same interview he also said that Liverpool only have a great, cohesive team but no superstars. Meanwhile, since the leagues have started this season in Europe, Mo Salah is quite clearly the most in-form, best player in the world at this moment. Even if you want to say he isn’t, he has to be top 3. The guy is a goal poacher and world class.

    Sacchi was BLESSED to be around good-to-great teams. Serie A was king and Berlusco not only spent money but spent it wisely buying only quality.

    World Cup 1994? Who knows what Italy was doing half the time. Usually relying on Baggio to save his skin.

    Never existed a Manager so hellbent on playing players out of position. Signori is not a bloody winger ! Then instead of learning from that mistake he goes into Euro 1996 playing Del Piero as a winger as well when clearly 2nd Striker was his best position. He wins the opener versus Russia quite comfortably (2-0 was a generous score), then makes wholesale changes in the 2nd match versus the Czech’s. We lose. Then its do or die in the Germany match (3rd match of the Group). Of course Zola missing his PK didn’t help matters.

    Contrast that to what Mancio did in Euro 2020 — kept the same lineup for the first two matches of the Group Stage, THEN after qualification to the Knockout Round was secured, made changes for the Wales match.

  5. I remember it well. You can never dispute what he did at Milan. Italy was at the forefront of the game. For a few years you could honestly say that it was harder to win the Italian League than the UCL.
    But some of his player selection’s were bizarre + he was never going to replicate that pressing style for Italy in the hot US summer climate. There was a hierarchy in Italian football. All coaches are biased but most coaches back then were completely biased. Sacchi would pick all his former Parma + Milan players for Italy. What made me laugh is after Baggio missed that pen in the Final. He never played him again?! It was as if he blamed Baggio for the loss when it was Baggio who got them to the Final to begin with? Ha Ha! Lunacy. It was the right choice to bring Signori on vs Norway + take Baggio off though as he ran their defence ragged while Italy were down to 10. But Euro ’96 summed his time up. Italy were 2-1 down vs the Czech R + so he brings his regular starter’s Zola + Casiraghi on to save him. They were great players but for Italy to rely on Casiraghi when they had Baggio, Vialli + Signori sat at home highlights the insanity. Sure enough + true to form Casiraghi blazed a sitter over in the final few min’s. Signori had been top goalscorer 3 out of the 4 previous seasons!!! My Dad said “the best 2 players in Italy aren’t even there, that’s why they’re losing.” Del Piero never got much of a look-in + was stuck on the wing, Chiesa wasn’t given much time either but did manage to score. If it hadn’t have been Italy, then it would’ve been comical but it was painful to watch. The defence was all over cause Baresi wasn’t there.
    It was an attacking style but it was a very rigid, 4-4-2. Countless times players were deployed miles out of position. He was before his time, he could see that football was becoming a game for top athletes, but if he wanted to win in style then what about the fantasy players, Giannini, Mancini, Vialli, Signori + Baggio never played for Italy again, at least until after he’d left. He preferred running over technique + that’s where I disagree with his “style” vision. He is more of an English coach in that respect.

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