Maurizio Sarri admits he has 'no good memories' of Juventus spell despite Scudetto triumph as he reflects on Chelsea success

Sarri is preparing for a tense reunion as his Atalanta side travel to face Juventus in Turin. The veteran Italian coach will return to the Allianz Juventus Stadium this Sunday to confront a club where he spent a single, turbulent campaign.

Despite leading the Bianconeri to the Serie A Scudetto during the 2019-20 season, Sarri admits the experience is not fondly remembered by either party. Now at the helm in Bergamo, he is focused entirely on his new tactical project.

Sarri's time in Turin was heavily impacted by the outbreak of the global pandemic. The suspension of football and the subsequent return behind closed doors left a lasting negative impression on the manager.

"It was a strange season with the stadiums practically empty from March onwards due to the pandemic, and perhaps that is one of the reasons why I don’t have good memories of that experience," Sarri told Sky Sport Italia.

Despite the sour memories and an abrupt exit after just one year, the Italian remains philosophical about his Juventus tenure, saying: "In any case, I have no regrets."

Sarri is currently overseeing a major tactical overhaul at Atalanta. He is actively dismantling the three-man defence that defined the club for a decade, which has led to a mixed start of three wins, one draw, and two defeats across all competitions. The tactician insists the slow start is normal, pointing out that Chelsea was the only club where he hit the ground running.

"I’d say it is a similar experience to the one I had at Empoli," he admitted. "After nine rounds, we were bottom of the table, but we went on to feature in the promotion play-off final.

"At Napoli, we had two or three points after four rounds. These are difficulties I have run into constantly over the course of my career. The only positive start I had was at Chelsea, but for the rest it was always difficult.

"The reasons are obvious, the more the previous playing style was completely different to mine, the more difficulties I’d run into at the start. It is a year of construction, both the director of sport and the club have not set any specific targets for the short-term, they are talking about building for the long-term."

Atalanta fans will need to remain patient as the squad adapts to a completely different footballing philosophy. Sarri stressed that moving away from the previous regime's rigid setup naturally creates early friction, noting that extreme stylistic changes demand time.

However, he has the full backing of the Atalanta hierarchy to execute his vision. The club's sporting director and board have deliberately avoided setting short-term targets, focusing instead on building a sustainable long-term project.

The immediate focus now shifts to Sunday's 17:00 UK time kick-off in Turin. Sarri will hope his evolving Atalanta side can make a major statement against his former employers.