Milan seriously considered appointing Maurizio Sarri in 2015 after his successful and critically acclaimed run at Empoli. Adriano Galliani and Silvio Berlusconi were leading the club at the time. They discussed it at length, but Napoli eventually beat them to the punch, La Gazzetta dello Sport informs.
The fact that the gaffer used to wear tracksuits on the sidelines didn’t sit well with the owner. Not for the attire itself but for the lazy message it conveyed. The former prime minister has always paid a lot of attention to image and brand. In addition, he was a heavy smoker, and the Rossoneri hierarchy didn’t particularly like that either, on top of his generally gruff personality.
Milan were coming off two poor seasons when they mulled onboarding Sarri. They had tried to right the ship and recapture their old glory with two club legends, Clarence Seedorf and Filippo Inzaghi, but their stints on the bench were poor.
The Rossoneri eyed the Tuscan gaffer for the proactive style of football he had Azzurri. His backstory, as he reached Serie A late after cutting his teeth in the lower leagues, reminded them of Arrigo Sacchi. Rumor has it that the legendary coach himself suggested him directly.
Milan also hesitated because Sarri has left-wing ideas on politics. He’s on the opposite side of the spectrum compared to Berlusconi. While the Rossoneri and his president were mulling the hiring, Napoli pounced and put him under contract in early June. Il Diavolo eventually choose Sinisa Mihajlovic that summer.
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