Sarri admits to ‘mistake’ leaving Chelsea for Juventus return | OneFootball

Maurizio Sarri admits ‘it was a mistake’ to push for the Chelsea exit and come back to Italy for Juventus, but he felt the situation at Stamford Bridge was ‘unclear.’

The coach is currently a free agent after he resigned from Lazio in March 2024 and has been linked with a possible return to the Premier League.

He only had one season in England in 2018-19, winning the Europa League that at the time was the first piece of silverware in his management career.

Looking back now, the Italian feels regrets that he walked away due to the tension around owner Roman Abramovic and director Marina Granovskaia.

“I could have stayed at Chelsea,” Sarri told Sun Sport.

“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.”

The problems around Chelsea at that time included Abramovich having his British visa withdrawn and the club given a two-window transfer blockade due to breaches over academy players.

Sarri regrets decision to quit Chelsea

FLORENCE, ITALY – FEBRUARY 26: Maurizio Sarri manager of SS Lazio looks on during the Serie A TIM match between ACF Fiorentina and SS Lazio at Stadio Artemio Franchi on February 26, 2024 in Florence, Italy. (Photo by Gabriele Maltinti/Getty Images)

This is something that he has already discussed earlier this year when speaking to Sportitalia.

Juventus had to buy Sarri out of his contract with Chelsea and his experience there only lasted one year too, despite the fact he won the Serie A title.

“I asked Marina if it was possible to go back to Italy and Marina asked for some money from Juventus to set me free,” added Sarri.

“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.”

There were suggestions that Sarri’s style of football was not entirely suited to the Premier League, but he contests that assertion.

“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,” assured Sarri.

“Of course at times there were two or three disasters, like at Manchester against City, like at Bournemouth.

“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.”