Atalanta left Turin with more than a defeat to consider after Juventus prevailed, as Maurizio Sarri questioned both his side’s lack of initiative and a penalty incident that went unchecked during the match.
The Atalanta coach’s strongest complaint concerned a hold by Pierre Kalulu on Rowe inside the Juventus area. Referee Zufferi allowed play to continue and there was no VAR review, a decision Sarri found difficult to accept.
“If they do not call him over for an incident like that, then VAR should be abolished and we should simply continue with the referee’s impressions,” Sarri said. “It seemed fairly obvious to me. Whoever is on VAR has to take at least a brief look.”
Yet the coach did not place the defeat solely in the hands of the officials. His broader concern was the personality shown by his players when the match demanded individual responsibility and attacking conviction.
“There was too little character in seeking one-versus-one situations,” he said. “We are improving technically, tactically and physically, but not in courage or initiative, and that is worrying.”
Sarri linked that hesitation to a summer in which the squad was assembled late, with much of the transfer business completed only in the final week and several players returning in August after the World Cup. In his view, those circumstances have affected the development of the collective and, above all, the confidence required to take decisive action in difficult moments.
He also addressed the disturbance from the Juventus curva during the minute’s silence held in honour of Mazzola. Sarri described it as an unpleasant feeling and suggested that those responsible may not appreciate what Mazzola represented beyond any club allegiance.
“Paying tribute to someone like that is the least one can do,” he said. “Perhaps it came from a generation that does not realise what Mazzola achieved, regardless of the shirt he wore.”
