WHAT’S SPECIAL ABOUT THE BOSS?

PEP GUARDIOLA claimed yesterday that Maurizio Sarri ‘will leave his mark’ on European football and Napoli defender Kalidou Koulibaly labelled him a genius. This ascent to the top has been a long one, however. Empoli gave Sarri his big break in 2012 after the 58-year-old had taken charge of 16 clubs in 20 years, the majority of those being amateur sides. He was a full-time banker until 2003, but 11 years later reached Serie A with Empoli after he thought up 33 different plans for set-pieces and filmed training using a drone.