Maurizio Sarri’s first season as Chelsea manager — and his first in the Premier League — is now officially complete, with a third-place league finish and the Europa League trophy.
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Wednesday’s triumph in the UEL final saw Sarri claim the first winner’s medal of his 30-year managerial career. It was a heartwarming sight to behold.
First medal in 20 years. Proud of you papa sarri pic.twitter.com/YtDGtjS9mO
— irfanidrus (@irfanidrus12) May 29, 2019
No one knows — not even Sarri himself — if there will be a second season for the Italian in west London. Not only did Sarri have a testy relationship with the club’s fans, but also with owner Roman Abramovich, leading to months of speculation that Sarri could be fired at any moment.
If the decision was to be left up to Sarri’s players, it sounds like he’d be the one roaming the sideline at Stamford Bridge come August. David Luiz, one of the most tenured players at the club (seven seasons over two different spells), was hugely complimentary of Sarri after the game and heaped loads of praise upon the 60-year-old — quotes from the BBC:“We had some ups and downs but we have improved a lot and learned a lot this season. We finished well and won a trophy. It is my third title in Europe with Chelsea, they believe in my game. Sarri is a great guy, a great coach and he deserves this.
“The manager did amazing for this club. I don’t know about speculation, now is the time to talk about the title.”
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With Eden Hazard seemingly already out the door, things could be looking drastically different at the start of next season. Chelsea won’t be the top job with a vacancy this summer, though, as whoever’s in charge — Sarri or otherwise — will be forced to operate under a two-window transfer ban.