Sarri: My job isn’t dependent on Lyon Champions League clash
Maurizio Sarri does not fear being axed by Juventus if they fail to progress to the Champions League quarter-finals.
The Bianconeri won a ninth successive Scudetto last month in Sarri’s first campaign at the helm, though they somewhat limped over the line having won just two of their final eight matches of the season.
Domestic dominance is nothing new for Juve – who were also beaten in June’s Coppa Italia final by Napoli – so Sarri’s detractors may need to see his worth in Europe’s premier club competition, which they have not won since 1996.
Sarri’s side must overturn a 1-0 first-leg deficit in their last-16 encounter with Lyon in Turin on Friday, though the Italian does not view it as a make-or-break contest with regards to his future amid suggestions the club have lined up possible replacements.
ALSO READ: Bale did not want to play against Man City, says Zidane
Asked whether he thought it could be his last game in charge, Sarri told reporters: “No, and I think this question is essentially calling our directors amateurish, which I don’t think they are.
“They will have made their evaluation based on the entire season as a whole, so if they’ve already decided to get a new coach, tomorrow won’t make any difference, nor will a victory.
“It’s an important match but it’s also important to win the Scudetto, and so we’ve had plenty of those already this season.
“It would be important to be part of Europe’s elite by reaching the final eight tournaments in Portugal, so we care about it, but that makes it an important match, not anything else.”
Despite pipping impressive Inter, Atalanta and Lazio sides to the Scudetto, Sarri’s tenure has still been questioned, as was the case at Chelsea, where he won the Europa League and sealed a top-four berth in the Premier League but left amid little fanfare a year ago.
Sarri feels it is wrong to dismiss his side’s achievement in winning the league title just because it has become the norm recently.
“I don’t read or listen to any of it,” he added.
“We are very happy to have won perhaps the most difficult Serie A season in the history of the league due to the many issues that were around it.
“Juventus is a club accustomed to winning and therefore people can be a little blase about it, but that is absolutely wrong in my opinion because victory should always be treated as a wonderful and extraordinary event.”
Fotmob
The post Sarri: My job isn’t dependent on Lyon Champions League clash appeared first on Vanguard News.
No comments: