Barbs, jokes, & chasing handshakes: The eventful history between Allegri & Spalletti | OneFootball

On Sunday evening, a new chapter will be written in the long-standing rivalry between Massimiliano Allegri and Luciano Spalletti.

The two Tuscan managers have been in charge of some of Italy’s biggest clubs for almost two decades, but their story dates back to Serie C, when Spalletti’s Spezia took on Allegri’s hometown club of Livorno.

Today, the two managers will meet at Italy’s most iconic stadium, the San Siro, and La Gazzetta dello Sport recalls their eventful story.

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In the 2016/17 campaign, Spalletti’s Roma emerged as the biggest threat to the all-conquering Juventus.

The two rivals clashed heads in December, and Allegri took the opportunity to aim a sly dig at his old nemesis.

“They are strong, Spalletti is very good. Sometimes even as an actor,” said the Livorno native.

This sparked a brusque response from the former Roma boss: “He says I’m a good actor because he’s never heard me sing. When we see each other again, I’ll let him hear it. He’s a great friend and will remain so. And he’s a fantastic coach.” 

Allegri had the last laugh thanks to Gonzalo Higuain’s winner.

Spalletti lauds Allegri

By December 2017, Spalletti had moved to Inter. Despite the great rivalry between the two clubs, he took the opportunity to hail his fellow Tuscan ahead of the Derby d’Italia, which ended in a goalless draw

“Who would I remove from Juventus? Only Allegri. He’s the best at interpreting matches. I’d spend an evening in Livorno eating cacciucco with him.”

“Max is one of the best, very good at making his team change formation and attitude in the same match.”

A year later, Allegri offered a light-hearted response when asked about his colleague.

“Differences between Spalletti and me? My hair. But not for long, he doesn’t have any left, and I almost do. But at Inter, he’s doing great things.”

This arguably marked the highest point of a relationship that was destined to deteriorate.

Allegri complains about Spalletti

In September 2021, Spalletti had just begun his adventure with Napoli, while Allegri had returned to Juventus for a second spell.

The Partenopei won at the Stadio Maradona thanks to Kalidou Koulibaly’s winner, but the contest had its fair share of controversy, and Allegri accused his rival of trying to influence the refereeing, which prompted a calm response from the Certaldo native.

“It’s a real mess. Me messing with the referee? It’s something that can’t be tolerated. I wasn’t expecting it. I went after him at the start and at the end to say hello, but he just walked away.

“There was no friction on the pitch. And besides, I’ve always lost, and once I win, he comes to lecture me.”

The beatdown at the Maradona

In January 2023, Napoli demolished Juventus by five goals to one, throwing the Old Lady out of the race once and for all.

True to his habit, Allegri tried to escape the scene as swiftly as possible, but this time, Spalletti decided to give chase, forcing his rival into an awkward handshake.

“Anyone who knows me well knows that it bothered me that he could leave without saying goodbye. At that moment, there was no stadium, and there were no cameras with millions of people in front of the TV.

“For me, it was just me and him who had to say goodbye, as I always have, even when I lost.”

This episode was preceded by an interesting pre-match comment from Allegri: “Luciano and I are not friends but acquaintances, but we have great respect.”