This must be bad news to all Chelsea fans across the globe as Maurizio Sarri has left the Stamford Bridge to become manager of Serie A champions Juventus on a three-year deal.
The controversy over Sarri’s future at the Blues has been raging since mid-season but it finally burst this weekend as Sarri, who joined the Blues from Napoli in July 2018, led them to third in the Premier League and won the Europa League in his one season in charge.
It is understood a compensation fee in excess of £5m has been agreed between the two clubs for the 60-year-old.
Sarri will replace fellow Italian Massimiliano Allegri, who left Juventus at the end of last season.
“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,” said Chelsea director Marina Granovskaia.
“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.”
Sarri signed three years’ deal last July but now becomes the ninth full-time manager to leave Chelsea under Roman Abramovich, who bought the club in 2003.
Derby boss and former Chelsea midfielder Frank Lampard has been linked with taking over from Sarri but the Blues are yet to make contact with the Rams.
The Championship club is keen to extend Lampard’s deal – which has two years left -and have opened talk with the 40-year-old.
The Stamford Bridge club is unable to sign any players after being given a two-window transfer ban by world governing body FIFA – a decision they are appealing against at the Court of Arbitration for Sport.
After earning glowing references for his tactics at Napoli, he looked to have effectively introduced ‘Sarri-ball’ to his new players as Chelsea started their Premier League campaign with a 12-game unbeaten streak.
But the Blues were out of title contention after losing three out of four Premier League games from January to February, including a 6-0 defeat at eventual champions Manchester City, which saw them slip to sixth in the table.
Chelsea then lost 2-0 at home to Manchester United in the FA Cup, when fans booed the Italian’s substitutions and joined in when the visiting supporters sang “you’re getting sacked in the morning”.
Sarri alienated some Blues supporters by moving N’Golo Kante, regarded as one of the best players in the world in a deep-lying midfield role, to the right of a three-man midfield to accommodate Jorginho.
There was repeated speculation about Sarri’s position and this increased when goalkeeper Kepa Arrizabalaga challenged his authority by refusing to be substituted in the Carabao Cup final at Wembley, shortly before Chelsea were beaten in a penalty shootout by Manchester City.
However, he remained in charge – and of the 19 matches played after losing to City at Wembley, his side lost just two, as they won their first European trophy since securing the Europa League in 2012-13.
They also held off the challenge of Tottenham, Arsenal and Manchester United to finish third in the league and clinch Champions League qualification