GIVE ME 5 DAYS TO CONVINCE STARS TO STAY
SARRI PLEA OVER HAZARD AND COURTOIS
Maurizio Sarri wants five days in training with Eden Hazard and Thibaut Courtois to convince the unsettled Belgians to commit their futures to Chelsea.
Hazard, with two years remaining on his contract at Stamford Bridge, and Courtois, who is already into the final 12 months of his deal, are summer targets for real Madrid.
The pair will not return for preseason until august 5 — the day Chelsea meet Manchester City at Wembley in the Fa Community Shield — but their new manager does not plan to disturb their post-World Cup holiday for a chat on the phone.
‘They are high level players. i would like to keep them in my squad,’ said Sarri. ‘Hazard is one of the top two or three European players.
‘But a telephone call without looking them in the eyes would not give them any certainty.
‘i want to meet them face to face, talk to them and understand what the best thing will be to do for everyone. i would like a player to come with me on to the pitch for four or five days to see what the situation is.’
Sarri was officially unveiled as Chelsea manager yesterday and his message was about bringing back the fun for players and fans.
‘My goal is to have fun as long as i am here,’ he said. ‘The biggest gift you may receive is to have fun while you do your job. i think it is better not to whinge, but to enjoy. The club has not asked me anything other than to be competitive in all competitions.’
Chairman Bruce Buck and director Marina Granovskaia looked on from the front row of Sarri’s press conference at Stamford Bridge. The 59-year-old Neapolitan made apologies for speaking mostly in italian and promised to improve his English quickly. He was wise enough to swerve comment on the ongoing visa problems of the club’s owner roman abramovich and divulged few details regarding the timescale of his appointment. His lawyers knew an opportunity might arise in London, was the gist of it, but he stressed there was no personal contact until last week, when antonio Conte was sacked.
Sarri, the 11th manager to work for abramovich and the fifth italian, has yet to win a major trophy. Five years ago he was in Serie B having worked his way up from the ranks of amateur football.
He insisted there were no fears about the challenge of stepping into the Chelsea hot seat after three years at Napoli, where his reputation was enhanced by an adventurous style of football.
‘i am not afraid and i don’t want to be afraid,’ said Sarri. ‘if i was someone who always worried probably i would do another job. What happened at Chelsea in the past does not concern me.
‘it is true i haven’t won anything but i have been in Serie a and apart from Juventus nobody has won anything. For three years in a row we set club records for points. in the first year 82 points, then 86 and 91.’
The finishing touches to his backroom staff were being confirmed last night, with Gianfranco zola installed as assistant coach, before Chelsea flew to australia where they face Perth Glory in a friendly on Monday.
Sarri dubbed himself a ‘field manager’, claimed to be ‘ bored by the transfer market’ and said a coach’s task was ‘ growing the players’.
Brazil- born italy midfielder Jorginho, signed from Napoli for £57million, will not be the last summer recruit as he tries to impose his own brand of football.
‘a pinch of quality is lacking in our central midfield for a certain type of play,’ said Sarri. inter Milan’s uruguay midfielder Matias Vecino is on his target list.
Sarri also delivered a response to accusations of sexism and homophobia based on comments made during a touchline clash with roberto Mancini and an exchange with a female reporter.
‘ People make mistakes,’ he confessed. ‘ one of these was made when i was angry, and the other was not a mistake because it was a journalist with whom i shared jokes with for three years and it was misconstrued.
‘Those who know me very well cannot define me in this way, not homophobic or sexist or racist, absolutely not. i am an extremely open person and i hope to show this when i work here and live here.
‘a professional and ethical approach is very important, more than apologies. i hope you get the chance to know me better and i hope you will forget about this very quickly.’
“I want to meet them face to face to talk to them”