Tension builds at Chelsea as Maurizio Sarri storms off training pitch and Juventus consider approachJuventus are set to make their move for Maurizio Sarri after the Europa League Final.
It comes as the Chelsea head coach admits that he is considering his future at the club despite finishing third in the Premier League and leading them to a European final against Arsenal.
Juventus have not ruled out a move for Tottenham Hotspur’s Mauricio Pochettino, and may wait until after Saturday’s Champions League Final, but they consider Sarri a far more attainable target. Although Pochettino has discussed the possibility of leaving Tottenham believe he will stay.And there were signs of tension in the Chelsea camp on Tuesday night. At first there appeared to be an on-pitch disagreement between David Luiz and Gonzalo Higuain before Sarri was seen storming off the training pitch and kicking his cap in anger. However, a Chelsea spokesman said, "Maurizio’s frustration displayed at the end of training was not related to any of his players, but was due to not being able to practise set-plays in the final 15 minutes of the hour-long training session as it remained open to media."
Telegraph Sport reported last week that Chelsea will not stand in Sarri’s way if Juventus, who are looking for a manager following the departure of Max Allegri, are willing to pay up to £5million in compensation. That figure is understood not to be a problem for Juventus.Allegri would be interested in succeeding Sarri at Chelsea and wants to eventually work in the Premier League but there is wariness in the club’s hierarchy at employing another Italian – given Sarri replaced Antonio Conte – and they may want a change of direction.Juventus were hugely impressed by Sarri’s work at Napoli although there is a concern at the club that he has not – yet – won a major trophy. Sarri will discuss his future with Chelsea following the final. Despite a challenging first campaign in English football, Sarri, who has two years left on his contract, said he has come to “love” his “wonderful players” and the nature of the game in the Premier League.
Asked if he would leave the club a happy man should he win the first title of his career in Baku, Sarri said: “For me, at the beginning of the season it was really very difficult to understand my players, to understand the mentality.
“But after a difficult month in January, in February they started to change, I think. Or probably I changed, I don’t know. In this moment, I love them because I have 22 wonderful men and wonderful players. “So now I am really very happy with them. And, of course, I have to consider it for the future. And I have to consider that I love English football, I love the Premier League.”
Sarri was speaking before Chelsea’s open training session, in which there seemed to be a brief spat between Luiz and Higuain. Leaving the pitch in anger, Sarri first threw his cap to the floor and then booted it into the air in anger.
The possibility of securing a European trophy, which would be Chelsea’s first since winning the Europa League title in 2013, has relieved some of the pressure on Sarri, as has securing qualification for the Champions League through the Premier League.
But Sarri’s task will be made considerably harder if, as expected, he is without midfielder N’Golo Kante in Wednesday’s final.
Kante developed a knee problem at the weekend and limped out of Chelsea’s final training session in Baku.
https://www.telegraph.co.uk/football/2019/05/28/maurizio-sarri-storms-training-pitch-tension-builds-chelsea/?WT.mc_id=tmg_share_tw
