Sarri opens up on his departure from Chelsea after just one season

Former Chelsea boss Maurizio Sarri has reflected on his departure from the club after just one season.

Sarri, 65, is a hugely respected Italian coach who has managed 18 different clubs in his home country, but his one-season spell at Chelsea remains his only assignment abroad.

The 65-year-old took over the Blues in July 2018, replacing Antonio Conte, but left at the end of the 2018/19 season after less than a year in the role.

Sarri guided Chelsea to a third-place finish as they won the Europa League and lost on penalties to Man City in the Carabao Cup final – in a match best remembered for Kepa Arrizabalaga refusing his manager's instructions to play for Willy Caballero to fall before the match. gunfight.

In total, the Italian won 39 of his 63 games in charge of the club, but was often criticized for his playing style and moved to Juventus in June 2019.

Sarri spent just over a year at the Old Lady – who paid compensation to Chelsea – before recently leaving Lazio after nearly three years in charge.

And more than five years on from his departure, Sarri has opened up about his departure from Stamford Bridge and admitted he regrets his decision.

“I could have stayed at Chelsea,” he told The Sun. 'I wanted to go back to Italy because the situation at Chelsea was not easy. During that period, Abramovich was not allowed to go to England. I only saw him at matches abroad. We've had a few phone calls, but not very often.

'My point of reference was only Marina (Granovskaia – director Chelsea). There was no 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 bit worried about the situation at Chelsea, the situation within the club. It wasn't clear.'

The period Sarri is referring to is when then Chelsea owner Roman Abramovich faced uncertainty over his immigration status when his renewed UK visa application was withdrawn in the summer of 2018.

The Blues were also at risk of a transfer ban over alleged rule breaches involving academy players over several seasons, with a two-period penalty subsequently imposed in November 2019, adding to the uncertainty Sarri faced made.

Meanwhile, as Sarri left, Granovskaia had further hinted that family reasons also played a role.

“During the conversations we had after the Europa League final, Maurizio made it clear how strongly he desired to return to his native country, explaining that his reasons for wanting to return to work in Italy were significant,” she explained at the time out.

'He also felt it was important to be closer to his family, and for the well-being of his elderly parents he felt he needed to live closer to them at this time.

'Maurizio leaves Chelsea with thanks to all of us for the work he and his assistants have done during the season he spent as head coach, and for winning the Europa League, leading us to the cup final again and to the third place have finished in the Premier League. .'

Sarri was set to win Serie A with Juventus but was sacked when they were knocked out of the Champions League at the last 16 stage.

And despite his abrupt departure from Stamford Bridge, the Italian admitted he still had positive memories of his time in England.

“I asked Marina if it was possible to go back to Italy and Marina asked Juventus for some money to release me,” he explained.

'They said if I wanted to stay at Chelsea that was possible. But at the end of the season at Chelsea it was a good experience and good results.”