Football is a stupid sport - Allegri

Posted Monday, April 29, 2019 by Foxsports.com

Massimiliano Allegri discussed tactics and football, while reiterating his commitment to Juventus.

Juventus head coach Massimiliano Allegri believes "football is a stupid sport" as he discussed tactics and reaffirmed his desire to continue in Turin following their Champions League exit.

Allegri guided Juventus to an eighth successive Serie A title this season - his fifth consecutive Scudetto since replacing Antonio Conte.

The former AC Milan boss has been criticised and his tactics questioned throughout the season, especially after Juve were sensationally eliminated by Ajax in the Champions League quarter-finals.

Discussing football on Rai programme 'Che Tempo Che Fa', Allegri said: "I don't really like all these tactical systems people talk about, 3-5-2, 4-3-3 and all that.

"I've learned that football is a stupid sport for intelligent people, because the simplest things are truly also the most difficult to get right.

"For example, you can say a player made a simple sideways pass, but it's not simple, it's football. The lower you go down the levels, the more players think they need to hang on to the ball to prove how talented they are, but that's not football."

Allegri - who has no plans to leave the Italian giants - passionately defended his tactics after Juve's 1-1 Serie A draw away to Inter on Saturday.

Former Inter defender Daniele Adani took aim at a number of Italian coaches in Europe for what he perceived to be a negative approach to matches and the Sky Sport Italia pundit drew the ire of Allegri post-game.

"In Italy, everyone has become a theorist of football and that is a real problem, like you reading your books," Allegri said on Saturday as he hit out at Adani. "Now you shut up and I'll talk, you don't know anything about football.

"You just sit there behind the desk, you read your books, but you don't know anything about the practicality of the sport. I've won six Scudetti."

Reflecting on the exchange on Sunday, Allegri added: "I am calm today, I got a bit cross yesterday. You know, every time you hear this lecture on what you did wrong and ought not to be doing, it can wind you up and I am only human. I don't go around telling you how to do your job!

"I accept constructive criticism, because it is part of the game, but after two or three times the same… I can give you my opinion, which may well be that you don't understand what you're talking about, but it's still an opinion."