Former Chelsea boss Maurizio Sarri has revealed how he shared a “conflicted relationship” with his Chelsea team but concedes he misses the Premier League, describing it as “extraordinary”.
The Italian left after just one campaign in charge of the blues, replacing Massimiliano Allegri as manager at Juventus in June 2019.
Sarri had guided Chelsea to their second Europa League trophy with a 4-1 victory over Arsenal in Baku and secured a third-place finish in the Premier League, helping the club qualifying for the Champions League.
But it was not always smooth for the 61-year-old. He had a public spat with Kepa Arrizabalaga during the Carabao Cup Final and was left on the brink of the sack after Chelsea’s worst-ever defeat in the Premier League, a 6-0 humbling at the hands of Guardiola’s Manchester City.
Speaking to Juventus’ official YouTube channel via video link, Maurizio Sarri lifted the lid on his time at Stamford Bridge.
“I had a conflicted relationship with the Chelsea dressing room but, when I told them I’d be leaving, many of them cried,” he said.
“I’m not so much a person who pats others on the back. I talk a lot about what they do wrong and less about the good things they do.
“I think that has a big impact, but then they learn to appreciate you for who you are. The longest relationships are with the lads I played least, so I think they recognise something once they absorb your character.”
When asked if the former Napoli boss misses England, Sarri replied: “I would never live there [again], I don’t understand how the Italians who are there do it.
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“As for the football, it’s a different story. I miss the Premier League. It has an extraordinary technical level and an incredible atmosphere.”
