Maurizio Sarri reveals he had ‘conflicted’ relationship with Chelsea players

Juventus boss Maurizio Sarri has spoken of his relationship with the Chelsea players during the early days of his tenure at Stamford Bridge, claiming that he maintained confrontational bondage with the dressing room.

The Blues dismissed Antonio Conte to sign Sarri at the start of last season. The Italian, despite being on the receiving end of weighty criticism alongside the plaudits, helped Chelsea to a third-place finish and the Europa League before returning to his home country.

He demanded variety, composure and pace from the players, infused strenuous training schedules and focused on detail more than any other component of the game.

Sarri was undoubtedly one who believed in uncompromising perseverance and hard work, in a rather stern manner.

That may not have gone too well with some of the players, as he disclosed in his latest interview on the Juventus YouTube page.

“I had a conflicted relationship with the Chelsea dressing room but, when I told them I’d be leaving, many of them cried. 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,” he remarked.

He added,

“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.”

With 63 points from 20 outings, Sarri and Juventus were at the top of the Serie A ladder until the COVID-19 rocked the world. He’ll be hoping to bag his first-ever Serie A title sooner than later.