Sarri reacts as Lyon drop Juventus from UCL

Juventus coach Maurizio Sarri. Credit: REUTERS/Massimo Pinca

By Taiwo Okanlawon

Juventus FC manager Maurizio Sarri has said he cannot be judged based on one match that led to his team’s exit in the last 16 stage of the 2019/2020 UEFA Champions League after a 2-2 aggregate loss.

The match at Allianz Stadium ended 2-1 with the brace by Cristiano Ronaldo, not enough to see Mauricio Sarri’s wards through.

Olympique Lyonnais halt Juventus from moving to the next stage in spite of a 2-1 win.

In spite of winning a ninth successive Serie A title last month, Sarri’s team have not managed to convince the critics during his first season in charge.

Their failure to even match last season’s quarter-finals performance in the UEFA Champions League has added to the pressure on the 61-year-old.

“If I wasn’t devastated by not qualifying, I’d be happy with the performance,” Sarri said after his side were knocked out on away goals following a 2-2 aggregate draw.

“I actually expected less from us, I think we played a great game. We fell behind to a penalty kick that could have made us lose our heads and we had three chances when we were 2-1 ahead.”

Sarri pointed out that his side had dropped only two points in the group stage.

Also, they were unbeaten in the competition until their 1-0 first leg defeat to Lyon in March, before the COVID-19 outbreak interrupted the season for three months.

“This competition doesn’t take any prisoners,” he said. “If it was a normal ranking, we would be first or second after six wins, a draw and a defeat.”

On his future, he said: “I don’t think top-level executives decide based on a single game. I think they make wider evaluations —— whether they be for or against.”

He added that the coronavirus pandemic had made it an unusual season.

“We’ve had several months where we haven’t done anything logical,” he said. “We’ve been locked indoors, quarantined, individual training, then collective training, then 14 games in 48 days.”