It is the night when the palmares, names or legacies do not count. Only courage, determination, the strength to believe in one’s dreams against everyone and everything count. It is the night of the climb of Maurizio Sarri, of his first European title won with sweat after having dedicated the last years of his life to a single goal: football, studying it in a maniacal way and transmitting his principles, sometimes rigidly, to the his boys. He had done it in Napoli, touching the miracle. He repeated it in London, ignoring criticism. “He never won anything,” “He’s a loser,” “He has a dull vision of football,” he had heard himself say. #Sarriout was the hashtag that drove the British fans at some point in the season: but he preferred the facts to the talk and in his first year at Chelsea he gave a European trophy to those who went against him. Today he is the first Italian coach to have won the Europa League: in the last year of the last millennium it was Malesani with Parma, but then he was called Uefa Cup. Sarri has also become the oldest coach to raise the Europa League with his 60 years and 139 days is the oldest coach to have won the European competition, after a long apprenticeship and a lot of sweat. He proudly snatched the record from Jose Mourinho, who in 2017 with Manchester United was 54 years and 118 days. And now with Chelsea he is the technician to have made more seasonal victories in the history of the club right behind Mourinho in the 2004-05 vintage. Not bad for someone who can’t win.
But Napoli does not forget the emotions and dreams lived with the Commander, and half the city celebrates with him: the first compliments come precisely from the club and from De Laurentiis. “To Maurizio Sarri for the victory with an overwhelming performance”, they post on social media. And the blue players are queued, from the unexpected comment of Maksimovic followed closely by his companions. Even the fans on social networks rejoice with him: “Commander, you deserve it”, “We Neapolitans have a memory, thanks for the great game you gave us. Now you gave it to the blues and you brought the cup home . So fond of Jorginho too, remembered in the city for his coarse laughter: “We are happy for you”. Almost in oblivion, on the other hand, in this festive atmosphere, perhaps the most hated player in Napoli, Higuain. Just a few words for him, absent from the field by surprise: “Sarri understood that to win the final he should not let you play”, “Resti semper Zero”. Yet even Pipita celebrates animatedly with the whole team for having contributed to the triumphal season.
From: Il Mattino.
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