Sarriball (Sarrismo)

Sarriball is a system developed by Maurizio Sarri, an Italian football manager, which came into the spotlight during an awesome S.S.C. Napoli Serie A campaign in 2017/18, which saw them in a title battle with Juventus. Napoli did not win the title, but Sarri’s system got the plaudits and earned him a lucrative contract in London.

The Sarriball system relies on aggression, high pressing and compactness on defense. The defensive responsibilities start with the front three players who put pressure on the opposition to try and get them to cause a mistake. The Sarriball is a very physically demanding system and requires a top level of player fitness. It also demands optimum concentration.

The whole team revolves around the CDM (central midfielder) with the five players in front pivoting around them. The entire team moves around the pitch as a unit. The Italian player Jorginho, was used by Sarri at Napoli in the CDM role and then again at Chelsea. The two, Sarri and Jorginho, basically arrived to Chelsea at the same time and possibly as part of the same package.

Playing Sarriball means staying compact and having a high defensive line. The space between the front players and back players is minimized whenever possible. The two center backs and the CDM play a possession football triangle with the aim to lure the opponent in. What often follows is a speedy and accurate break forward.

Sarriball takes a while to learn and even longer to master. It takes three months to get decent at it according to the manager. Being comfortable with the ball is probably the most important part of the system. Every player included. Sharp passing patterns are used throughout the game.

Sarriball is an attractive football to watch, but its use does open the team to vulnerabilities. One is that a lot of space is left behind while running a high defensive line, which leaves the team exposed to opposing players running in.