GdS: 'Thank goodness I went to Cagliari' - Allegri returns to where he made his name

""It's a good thing I went to Cagliari. I had spent my youth completely messing around, but starting in the 1991-1992 season, something changed radically with the call from Pescara in Serie B. There I met Giovanni Galeone... As a player, I understood that I had to take things seriously. We won the title, and in the following one, in Serie A, I scored 12 goals, becoming, along with Francesco Dell'Anno, the transfer market man.""

""Why do I still say today: thank goodness I went to Cagliari? Because right around that time, look at me, I started thinking that if there could be a president in Italy who would give me the chance to become a coach, well, it was Cellino. And when, years later, I found myself coaching Sassuolo, with whom we were about to go to Serie B, I said to myself: 'I'll coach Cagliari. It was something I felt inside. After all, in the end, it all adds up anyway'.""

""Allegri's start to life as Cagliari boss was not good. A 4-1 loss to Lazio was followed by a 2-0 defeat to Siena, a 1-0 loss to Juventus, a 1-0 defeat to Atalanta and a 2-0 loss at Lecce. He was by far the favourite among bookmakers to be sacked first among Serie A coaching. Cellino kept his faith in Allegri, and in round six they drew 0-0 against Ancelotti's Milan with Gattuso, Seedorf, Kakà, Ronaldhino and Pato, plus Dida, Pippo Inzaghi and Shevchenko on the bench. It's a turning point.""

Massimiliano Allegri experienced a turning point after moving to Pescara in 1991–1992 under Giovanni Galeone, which pushed him to take football seriously. He won the Serie B title and then scored 12 goals in Serie A, increasing his profile. He later joined Cagliari, met President Cellino, and adapted to a holding midfielder role across two and a half seasons. Cellino later offered him the opportunity to become a coach, and Allegri resolved to manage Cagliari one day. His initial spell as Cagliari manager began with several heavy defeats, but Cellino's faith and a 0-0 draw against Milan marked a turning point.

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