A DISGRACE TO THE GAME
Sarri explodes in a rage on touchline as goalkeeper Kepa refuses to be substituted
CHELSEA goalkeeper Kepa Arrizabalaga shocked the world of football on Sunday when he refused to be substituted in the League Cup final.
Undermining his manager Maurizio Sarri, the world’s most expensive shot-stopper decided to stay on the pitch, before his side went on to lose a penalty shootout against rivals Manchester City.
From the failed substitution to the manager threatening to walk out while other players watched on open-mouthed, the farcical situation summed up the current chaos at Chelsea.
Sarri is already under pressure, with the club sitting sixth in the Premier League table, and Sunday’s events led many to ask the question: just who is in charge at Stamford Bridge?
Player power reigned supreme in this instance, leaving Sarri looking embarrassed, bewildered and furious on the Chelsea bench at Wembley.
An apoplectic Sarri threw something in the dugout and almost walked down the tunnel after he tried and failed to bring on Willy Caballero at Wembley.
Sarri later played down the incident, insisting: “I understood there was a problem and we needed a change, then I realised the situation only when the doctor arrived to the bench after four minutes, so it was a big misunderstanding.”
Alan Shearer and Ruud Gullit, however, have dismissed Sarri’s claim that his row with Kepa was merely a ‘misunderstanding’.
Speaking on Match Of The Day, Shearer said: “I think it tells the story the way the manager reacted. He went absolutely berserk.
“I don’t think that’s a misunderstanding. He wants him off for a specific reason and he’s disobeyed him and undermined him.”
Former Chelsea boss Gullit was left equally unconvinced by Sarri’s explanation, insisting “everybody knows what happened”.
“The captain (Cesar Azpilicueta) should have gone up to him and said, “Go off ”,” Gullit told the BBC. “This is just a political answer for the newspapers so there is no confusion the next day. Everybody knows what happened. The way he reacted on the touchline says everything.”
Shearer added: “When they go to the team talks for the penalties, he only joins his players with 10 seconds to go. He’s practically walking down the tunnel!”
Kepa, for his part, also sought to play down the row, reiterating his manager’s claim that it was a ‘misunderstanding’.
The 24-year-old also claimed he had ‘full respect for the coach and his authority’, saying: “It wasn’t my intention to go against the manager. I have spoken with the boss. I think it was misunderstood.
“It wasn’t that I was refusing to be substituted, it was a way of trying to tell the bench that I was fine.”
But Sportsmail columnist Chris Sutton insisted: “That should be his last performance in a Chelsea shirt. He’s a disgrace. I’ve never seen anything like it.”
Former Chelsea and Manchester United manager Jose Mourinho has defended the actions of Kepa. Mournho insists that he was impressed by the traits shown in the young keeper’s attitude.
“The goalkeeper wants to show his personality, his confidence, wants to show that he is there and wants to be at the shootout and make saves — and I like that,” he told DAZN.
And he did admit to having some sympathy for both Sarri and Caballero over the situation.