Sarri says top club teams would beat national sides
MAURIZIO SARRI reckons Chelsea could beat England.
Sarri, who said he didn’t watch the World Cup, dislikes international football because of the lack of time coaches get to work with players.
And asked if that would help his Blues get the better of Gareth Southgate’s England, the Italian said: “I think so. I don’t think our level is below England’s.”
Sarri opened up on his views on international football after being asked about VAR, which was a success at the World Cup in Russia last summer but which caused controversy in Chelsea’s Carabao Cup semi-final defeat at Tottenham.
He said: “I didn’t see anything of the World Cup. I didn’t see a match in the World Cup. I don’t like the national team because there isn’t anything to learn.”
When told it was an unusual approach for a Premier League manager, Sarri said: “Every coach thinks like me. It is just unusual to say it.
“It is impossible to arrange a team very well in 30 days. Every team in the World Cup will lose against top-level club teams in every match.
“That is normal because at a club you have time to organise but in the national team you have no time so it is very difficult to see an organised team in the Euros or the World Cup.”
Sarri, appointed Blues boss last July, accused German giants Bayern Munich of disrespecting Chelsea by going public with their interest in Callum Hudson-Odoi.
Bayern are now onto their fourth bid for the teenage winger, whose contract expires in 2020, but Chelsea still hope to persuade him to stay.
Ahead of Chelsea’s tea- time clash at home to Newcastle today, Sarri said of Bayern’s dogged pursuit of the 18-yearold (below): “It is not professional because they are talking about a player under contract with Chelsea so they are showing no respect to our club.”
The former Napoli boss revealed he cuts his hair after every defeat. Superstitious Sarri responded to Chelsea’s League Cup loss at Spurs in midweek with a trip to the barber’s to whip of the hair and beard he was sporting.
“It is because when I lose a match I cut my hair, that is my tradition,” said Sarri, who turned 59 on Thursday.
“For five years I have been doing that. I hope in the future I can have my hair here like (translator) Simonetta,” he added, pointing to the bottom of his back.