Allegri and Mazzarri: the Serie A equivalent of Mourinho and Conte
- Jordan Russell (@JordRuss96)
Massimiliano Allegri and Walter Mazzarri have never been the best of friends, that is safe to say. Despite the fact the Juventus coach has complimented his Torino counterpart in recent times, there is definitely an edge to their relationship. “He’s a great coach,” Allegri is on record as saying shortly after WM was appointed by the Granata.
The two old adversaries will meet tomorrow afternoon as the Bianconeri meet their rivals at the Stadio Olimpico Grande Torino, and are sure to be centre of attention. The verbal disputes between them were particularly tense while Mazzarri was in charge of Napoli and Inter, at which point Allegri was at the helm of AC Milan.
The Tuscans have already faced off in a derby – the Milan derby of all things – which ended in a 1-0 win for Mazzarri’s team, thanks to a late Rodrigo Palacio strike. However, Allegri enjoys the better head to head record, having beaten his rival three times. That said, he is without victory in his last five attempts.
They have previously been in conflict over Mazzarri’s penchant for discussing (blaming) refereeing performances for his team’s shortcomings. Allegri, during his time as Rossoneri coach, once said:
“Mazzarri must not get involved in certain controversies. I never spoke about referees, for better or for worse. Mazzarri said he was worried about having a referee who was up to the job, a problem I do not believe exists. I think they are all good and up to scratch, so I offered him the chance to choose, but it was just a joke.”
Though there have been some signs of a thawing in their relationship, tomorrow’s Derby della Mole is sure to test that to the limits in what is sure to be a fascinating encounter.