Chelsea have officially confirmed the departure of Maurizio Sarri, who is returning to Italy to become the new manager of Juventus.
The speculation surrounding Maurizio Sarri’s future at Chelsea has been rife for weeks now. The Europa League winners have now confirmed that the manager is set to vacate the position at the club with immediate effect, thus prematurely ending the three-year deal he had signed with Chelsea in 2018.
The confirmation has further clarified Sarri’s reason, stating that the Italian is returning to his homeland and will be the new manager of Juventus. The statement also reads that the two clubs have reached an agreement to terminate Sarri’s Chelsea deal, which means that Chelsea have been paid a compensation by Juventus to part ways with Sarri.
Chelsea director Marino Granovskaia explained the entire situation leading up to the announcement, while also wishing Sarri the best of luck for his new journey with Juventus.
“In talks we had following 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. He also believed it important to be nearer his family, and for the well-being of his elderly parents he felt he needed to live closer to them at this point.”
“Maurizio leaves Chelsea with thanks from us all for the work he and his assistants did during the season he spent as our head coach, and for winning the Europa League, guiding us to another cup final and a third-place finish in the Premier League. We would also like to congratulate him on securing the role as big as any in Serie A and to wish him the best of luck for the future.”
12 – Maurizio Sarri remained unbeaten in his opening 12 Premier League games, the longest unbeaten start by any manager in the competition. Arrivederci. pic.twitter.com/jqGAf1otvI
— OptaJoe (@OptaJoe) June 16, 2019
It is a bittersweet ending to Maurizio Sarri’s tenure at Chelsea. Arriving in 2018 as the replacement for compatriot Antonio Conte, Sarri tried his best to get Chelsea to play Sarri-ball. But, it seemed like the players were finding it difficult to adjust to the tactics. There were several hiccups in the entire season, especially with a misfiring forward line.
Despite all of the criticism faced by Sarri, the manager took Chelsea to two cup finals, losing the Carabao Cup to a seemingly unstoppable Manchester City on penalties.
But, the most important achievements were his third-placed finish in the Premier League, guaranteeing Champions League status for Chelsea for the 2019-20 campaign, and the first major trophy of his career, the UEFA Europa League, beating local rivals Arsenal in the final.
The solitary season that Sarri was incharge saw the Italian succeed in the grand scheme of things, despite his Chelsea side not fully adjusting to Sarri-ball. The job at Juventus, it seems, was too lucrative to pass for the Italian, who has spent his entire managerial career prior to Chelsea, in Italy without winning any trophies.
With Sarri set to begin his new chapter, it will also be the dawn of a new era at Chelsea, with the club serving a transfer ban and tipped to bring in club legend Frank Lampard to replace the Italian.
