Maurizio Sarri's Napoli 4-3-3 ( 2017-2018 )

I’ve recreated Maurizio Sarri’s iconic 4-3-3 Napoli system and tested it with AS Roma on FM26. Won scudetto and Coppa Italia

This post is all about breaking down how Sarri’s tactical ideas translate into Football Manager. The system focuses on quick passing, positional play, and constant movement — with the front three playing a crucial role in stretching the opposition while the midfield dictates tempo and controls possession.

Strengths:

- Fluid attacking movement and strong chance creation
- Dominance in possession with short, quick passing
- High pressing that forces mistakes and recovers the ball quickly

Weaknesses:

- Can be vulnerable to counter-attacks, especially against fast teams
- Requires technically strong players to fully work


In my save, the career is around 15 years ahead of real life, so most of the players you’ll see are regens and unfamiliar names — but the system still captures the essence of Sarri’s Napoli perfectly. I also managed to score an impressive 98 goals using this setup with Roma.

Below you’ll find everything: results, the full tactic, league table, and all the goals I’ve scored with Roma using this Sarri-inspired setup on FM26.

The FM26 Tactic and results