A deal is far from done, but it appears now that it’s just a question of when, not if with Chelsea manager Maurizio Sarri and his rumored move to Juventus. Sarri has given his clearest hint yet that a move to Juve is in the works, articulating to Vanity Fair just how much he misses his Italian homeland.
He also said that something is simply missing at Chelsea. “For us Italians, the lure of home is strong,” he told the magazine.
“You feel something is missing. It has been a difficult year. I start feeling the weight of my friends being so far, of my elderly parents who I see so rarely.”
Aside from this past season at Chelsea, Sarri has spent his entire coaching career in Italy, with numerous clubs and several different levels. It remains to be seen whether or not Chelsea receives compensation from Juventus for his departure, but Blues midfielder Jorginho, who moved to Stamford Bridge with Sarri last summer, sees a backlash brewing from this move.
He believes that Neapolitan like Sarri, who managed Napoli for a substantial period of time, going to the ruling oligarchs of Italian football would be considered a betrayal. Once Sarri does move on, it remains to be seen who the favorite to replace him in west London will be.
Here is a list of five candidates, including Frank Lampard and Javi Gracia.
Whomever takes the gig next is in for a massive challenge, as Chelsea are going to have some substantial transition issues to deal with moving forward.
Paul M. Banks runs The Sports Bank.net, which is partnered with News Now. Banks, the author of “No, I Can’t Get You Free Tickets: Lessons Learned From a Life in the Sports Media Industry,” regularly appears on WGN CLTV and co-hosts the “Let’s Get Weird, Sports” podcast on SB Nation.
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