Sarri: City rout a ‘mental problem’

MAURIZIO SARRI has revealed Chelsea’s players held hour-long crisis talks after their humiliation at Manchester City, as the club bid to save their season from imploding.

Sarri is under pressure ahead of a crucial fortnight in which his future could be ultimately decided, starting with tonight’s Europa League tie with Malmo.

Chelsea’s hopes of qualifying for next season’s Champions League could rest on their European campaign and a shock defeat to the Swedish minnows over two legs would only increase the sense of a campaign unravelling.

Chelsea chairman Bruce Buck even made a rare appearance at Sarri’s press conference as the Italian reflected on the fallout from the 6-0 battering at the Etihad Stadium.

“We talked all together for one hour the day after the match,” Sarri said. “I think that it’s better to work, better to react on the pitch.”

“In my opinion, the last game was not a problem of motivation. We were not able to react to the first difficulty during the match because, in the first four or five -minutes, we started well.

“Then, after the first goal, we were not able to react. So, the -problem is different. But it’s always a mind problem, a mental problem, so we need to solve them.” (© Daily Telegraph, London)

Malmo v Chelsea, Virgin Media Sport/ BT Sport 2, 8.0.