Maurizio Sarri on regret at quitting Chelsea, love for an unlikely star and why he can’t quit addiction to fags and Prem
THERE ARE two habits that Maurizio Sarri cannot kick – cigarettes and his love of English football.
The vastly experienced Italian manager deeply regrets the decision to walk away from Chelsea after just one season. And he wants to put things right.
Despite guiding the club to the Europa League title, a top four finish and a Wembley final, chain-smoker Sarri ‘panicked’ and headed home for safety’s sake.
The gradual breakdown of former owner Roman Abamovich’s deteriorating relationship with the UK government was behind him asking to leave just when he should have been negotiating a new contract.
Sarri is still puffing away as he talks exclusively to SunSport about his unfinished business with the Premier League. And more importantly, whether he would pack up fags because stadiums over here are no-smoking arenas
In answer to that question, he declared: “No.”
He then goes into great depth detailing why he felt he had to leave Chelsea despite winning a European trophy in his one and only season.
Russian Abramovich had his UK visa revoked. Technical director Michael Emenalo had quit the year before Sarri arrived.
Transfer guru Marina Granovskaia was left juggling several roles – and it scared Sarri.
He said: “I could have stayed at Chelsea.
“I wanted to come back to Italy because the situation at Chelsea was not easy. In that period Abramovich was not allowed to go to England. I only saw him at games abroad. We had some telephone calls but not very often.
“My point of reference was only Marina. There wasn’t a sporting director so the situation was not so clear. So I wanted to come back to Italy but it was a mistake.
“It would have been better to stay there. I was a little worried about the situation with Chelsea, the situation inside the club. It was not clear.
“I asked Marina if it was possible to go back to Italy and Marina asked for some money from Juventus to set me free.
“They said if I wanted to stay at Chelsea it was possible. But at the end of the season with Chelsea it was a good experience and good results.
“We got third place in the Premier League table, reached the final of the Carabao Cup and won the Europa League. We played a lot of good matches.
“Of course at times there were two or three disasters, like at Manchester against City, like at Bournemouth.
“Now I am ready to start again. I don’t know where at the moment. But me and the staff are ready.”
Sarri faced an uphill battle to convince Chelsea fans that his possession-based philosophy, or ‘Sarriball’ as it has become known, suited the blood and thunder of the Premier League.
His team was trounced 6-0 at Manchester City and 4-0 by lowly Bournemouth during his sole year in charge. But there is no arguing with the end result.
Sarri left Chelsea and went on to win Serie A with Juventus the following season. Then a proud second-placed finish with Lazio in 2023.
He said: “I managed at the top level. We won the Scudetta with Juve but it is not the same as the Premier League.
“England is the top level for players, for teams, for clubs, for stadiums, for fans. For everything. So I’d like to come back.
“If I had a team and had the opportunity to be the coach of a team at the same level I think that I could do even better.
“If Chelsea were able to get into the top four then my football must have been suitable. Probably the disaster at Manchester and Bournemouth made the fans unhappy about my situation and my football. But I think it was a feeling for a couple of months, no more.”
Sarri on his favourite Chelsea player
MAURIZIO SARRI was blessed with a galaxy of stars during his one year as Chelsea boss.
Antonio Rudiger, Cesar Azpilicueta, David Luiz, Cesc Fabregas, Olivier Giroud, N’Golo Kante and Jorginho among them.
But the Italian has a special place in his heart for an unlikely lad in Ruben Loftus-Cheek, who came so close to making it big with The Blues but is now with AC Milan in Sarri’s homeland.
Sarri said: “I loved them all; Luiz, Rudiger, Azpi. But for me one very important player in my season was Loftus. Very, very important. I think he could have done more.
“But the injuries were a really big problem for him. He had to go 11, 12 months without playing.
“Then it takes another season to reach the same level as before. It is a big thing for one but I think in time he will reach a great level.”
Silky midfielder Loftus-Cheek came through the Chelsea ranks and over nine years managed just over 150 Premier League appearances.
But nightmarish issues with his Achilles tendon in particular got in the way. He ruptured it playing in a Holocaust Memorial match for Chelsea in Boston.
Sarri said: “I hope now there is a great future for him. He deserves it. Achilles was a big, big problem for him.”
Sarri also believes current Chelsea boss and fellow countryman Enzo Maresca has settled the club down after several dramatic years off the pitch and in the transfer market with 43 registered first team players at one point.
Sarri said: “The situation at the beginning of the season was difficult with so many players but for sure he is doing a good job.
“My feeling now is that Chelsea are becoming a team again now- not 11 good players. My feeling is that the future for Chelsea could be good. A winning future I think.
“Maresca is an Italian coach but is more an international coach. Maresca in Italy worked only for one or two seasons, no more. He has worked more in Italy than in England.
“He is a very young coach. We have to wait I think but at the moment the work at Chelsea is going well. He has the possibility to become one of the best in Europe.”
Two Premier League managers have already been sacked this season – Erik ten Hag at Manchester United and Steve Cooper from Leicester.
It is at this time of year that top flight clubs start getting twitchy.
Julen Lopetegui at West Ham and Russell Martin at Southampton must be looking over their shoulders.
At Chelsea, Sarri used a terrace next to his first floor office at the training ground for smoking.
His only requirements from any new club are an outside space and potential.
Sarri said: “It is very important to get 101 percent from your team. This is more important than winning a cup, a trophy, or the Premier League.
“To get 101 percent from the players, the team as a whole. It is better than winning. Real Madrid can win with 98 per cent of the potential of the team. The real win is getting 101 per cent of the potential.
“I wanted to leave Chelsea – but only because of a particular situation. Not because of England.
“I want to be a coach again.”