Maurizio Sarri hadn’t seen what set off the skirmish between Jose Mourinho and his staff, but he knew enough to say it was wrong.
[ VIDEO: Mourinho reacts to taunting, skirmish ]
Sarri assistant Marco Ianni took the opportunity of Ross Barkley’s late equalizer to celebrate directly in Jose Mourinho’s face and then taunt him on the way back.
Fortunately for us all, Mourinho didn’t notice Ianni’s first swipe, or you can be sure it wouldn’t have gotten to the second (for better or worse for Mou).
Chelsea kept its unbeaten season alive with the 2-2 draw at home, but many questions for Sarri were about his assistant. From the BBC:“Sincerely I have not seen {what happened] but I have spoken with Jose then I have spoken with a member of staff because I think we were on the wrong side so I have dealt with it immediately. ... If I speak to a member of staff and am very hard [with him] I cannot come here and tell everything because then I am not credible with the staff.”
Fair enough. I wonder what punishments Sarri deals out: Does he ask offenders to take up his in-game habit of chewing on cigarettes? Do they have to run errands for him? Something tells me it’s amusing.
Also, I’m neither sorry nor Sarri for the headline. Take victories where you find them. Carpe headline.