Sarri making Roman smile
MAURIZIO SARRI is helping Roman Abramovich fall in love with Chelsea again.
The Russian tycoon and Blues owner has been mulling over for months whether to sell the west Londoners, with an asking price of £2.5bn mooted.
But a source close to Abramovich said: “The prospect of Roman selling Chelsea depends on his mood. And he has been in a much better one since Sarri arrived.”
Starsport understands Abramovich’s feelings about Chelsea – who he took over in 2003 – have been fluctuating greatly.
Last season he had to deal with a moaning Antonio Conte as the Italian constantly lashed out about failing to land the signings he wanted.
Under Conte, Chelsea made a dismal attempt to retain their Premier League title, finishing fifth last term.
And in May Abramovich became an Israeli citizen, allowing him to enter Britain, after the UK delayed renewing his visa. But a new mood has swept over Stamford Bridge since the arrival of former Napoli boss Sarri, who breezed into the club and vowed at his unveiling:
“My objective is to have fun.”
Sarri has lifted the spirits with a perfect start to the season, winning his first four matches in charge.
He has also adopted an outgoing and happy-go-lucky approach to coaching the team – in sharp contrast to Conte and Jose Mourinho before him.