Sarri out to prove sceptics wrong

Maurizio Sarri has suggested Chelsea’s players did not have the characteristics to fully adapt to his style of play, but the new Juventus coach says he will not change despite scepticism over his philosophy.

Sarri left Chelsea to join Juventus on Sunday, securing a return to Serie A – where he previously enjoyed three successful seasons at Napoli – after just one campaign at Stamford Bridge.

Chelsea finished third and won the Europa League during Sarri’s stint in charge, though the Italian never looked to have settled in English football.

And, having now replaced Massimiliano Allegri at Juve, Sarri has acknowledged it was difficult to imprint his style on Chelsea’s players without adapting his methods.

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However, the 60-year-old insisted that sticking by his philosophy is the only way he knows how to achieve success.

“I have always arrived in one club surrounded by scepticism,” Sarri told a news conference.

“I went to Empoli from Serie C and everybody was sceptical – Napoli from Empoli – and they were all sceptical. At Chelsea from Napoli, all sceptical. 

“Players’ characteristics change from club to club. Napoli was composed of functional players, playing for the team from a psychological viewpoint, they moved the ball very quickly. 

“Chelsea, on the other hand, are made of better players but with different characteristics. Chelsea had wingers who needed the one-on-one, so my style was less smooth but as threatening as before. 

“Eventually we had become very tough to be beat. To repeat the same training methods with different players would be foolish, it would mean to change the players’ characteristics. It is something for amateurs. 

“Players have different styles but what remains the same is the ideology that has to be morphed on important and mature players. This makes you win.”