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Reports: Maurizio Sarri Agrees to Chelsea Release, Will Join Juventus as Manager
May 31, 2019
Chelsea have agreed to release manager Maurizio Sarri so he can join Serie A giants Juventus, according to SportItalia's Alfredo Pedulla and Sky Sport Italia have both reported the news:
The decision was reportedly made after Sarri told Blues director Marina Granovskaia on Friday he wants to "return to Italy for family reasons, as well as the chance to coach Juve," per Dominic Fifield and Fabrizio Romano of the Guardian.
They also reported how Sarri's agent, Fali Ramadani, discussed things with the 60-year-old before the ex-Napoli boss met with Granovskaia.
According to Goal's Romeo Agresti, the tactician already has an agreement in place with the Bianconeri:
Sarri just finished his first season with the Blues, guiding the side to a third-place finish in the Premier League and the UEFA Europa League title.
After the 4-1 triumph over Arsenal on Wednesday in the final, sports writer Rob Harris noted it was vindication for Sarri, who wasn't always popular with certain sections of the fans:
Despite the positive results in his first season in England, his future has been in question, and Goal asked the question whether he should stay in the job:
Some Chelsea fans didn't think he got a fair chance:
The Europa League win marked the first major trophy of Sarri's career. He previously worked at several clubs in the lower Italian leagues and emerged as a top manager with Napoli, where he fell just short of winning Serie A due to Juventus' dominance.
Former Juve boss Massimiliano Allegri guided the Bianconeri to five straight Serie A titles, but he couldn't get the Italians over the hump in Europe, falling short in two finals.
Because of the club's massive success domestically, Sarri would be under tremendous pressure to hit the ground running. His intricate play style makes such a feat difficult, especially in a summer where key players like Cristiano Ronaldo and others could return to the club late after playing for the national team in the UEFA Nations Cup or the Copa America.