SARRI-GASPERINI, OPPOSITE APPROACHES HEAD TO HEAD
Two Polar Opposite Careers: From their Origins to Top-Level Football
For the first time, Sarri and Gasperini will be head-to-head as managers of the two teams from Rome. Sarri will be making a return to the Lazio sidelines, whereas it will be Gasperini’s debut for the Roma side in their fourth official match. Both are central figures for the Italian touchline, with very different career paths, but both have a Europa League win under their belts.
Gian Piero Gasperini is the coach with the most Serie A appearances amongst current head coaches (602, sixth of all time). He began his career as a youth coach at Juventus after playing in Serie B and a brief stint in Serie A with Pescara. His path to success was remarkable as he moved from Crotone to Genoa in just a few years, and in 2007, he secured his promotion into Serie A, where he would remain a key figure for 19 seasons.
Despite only being a year younger than the Roma manager, Maurizio Sarri has made fewer than half Serie A appearances (297), indicative of a different personal and professional journey. After joining coaching without a background as a player, he spent twenty years in amateur and lower divisions before reaching the top tier in 2014 with Empoli. A very different journey, highlighted by his time at Napoli, the Scudetto at Juventus, and the European triumph with Chelsea.
A Twenty-Year-Long Rivalry
Their first clash dates back to October 29, 2005, in Serie B with Crotone vs. Pescara that ended 0-0. In the second division, they faced each other three times, resulting in two draws and one win for Gasperini before they came head-to-head in Serie A in 2014 (Genoa vs. Empoli 1-1) after a seven-year break. Since then, there have been many clashes, 21 in total, with a closely even record, six wins for Gasperini, seven for Sarri, and eight draws. One of the most memorable encounters is Atalanta’s 2-0 victory over Napoli at the San Paolo in 2017, thanks to a brace from Caldara, and Juventus’ 3-1 comeback to win at Bergamo with a brace from Higuaín and a goal from Dybala. The most recent game dates back to the 2023/24 season at the Olimpico, where Vecino sealed the match with a beautiful strike for Lazio’s 3-2 win, while in the return leg, Atalanta won 3-1 with a brace from De Ketelaere.
Opposite Approaches, a Similar Impact
The numbers allude to a balance, but tactically, the games have always been intense. On one side, there’s “Sarriball” as the English press described during his time in the Premier League. It’s all about positional play, quick triangles, third-man runs, and a 4-3-3 system designed for tactical advantage with repeated patterns. On the other hand, Gasperini’s revolutionary approach has brought back the three-man defence and full-field man-marking concepts that once seemed old-fashioned, but he has reshaped them into a modern model. His one-on-one duels across the pitch, knack for involving as many players as possible in the attacking phase and maintaining constant pressure have become signature moves of his vertical high-intensity play, capable of not only developing his players but also influencing top coaches across Europe. Sarri has inherited and perfected the tactics of Michels, Sacchi, and Guardiola, adapting them with clinical precision to the realities of modern Italian football. Gasperini, on the other hand, has rewritten the tactical playbook of Serie A, turning concepts once considered outdated into modern tools for success, replicated and adapted throughout European football.
The New Stage of the Derby
This time, the stage is momentous: the Derby della Capitale, a timeless rivalry that brings added drama and responsibility. Lazio and Roma both come into the match after defeats, Lazio to Sassuolo, Roma to Torino, and both are under pressure to get it right. Sarri is keen to avoid a third loss out of four games, while Gasperini is hoping for redemption after his first home loss. In the Derby della Capitale, Sarri has had a winning record so far (four wins, one draw, one loss), whereas Gasperini’s experience in city rivalries mainly lies in his time at Genoa, with four wins, two draws, and five defeats against Sampdoria. Now this clash will take the big stage in the Derby della Capitale: an eternal rivalry written into the foundations of Rome, ready to etch the names of these coaches in Latin letters into its timeless saga.. (Photo Getty Images)