Parker in job for life

WARNING: Sarri MAURIZIO SARRI has warned Scott Parker that he can forget about any life outside football.

The 38-year-old was named Fulham caretakerboss on Thursday after Claudio Ranieri was axed following just three wins in 17 games and almost certain relegation.

Parker’s first game in charge will be tomorrow against a Chelsea side buoyed by a 2-0 win over Tottenham on Wednesday that eased the pressure on boss Sarri.

The Italian is renowned for spending hours studying opponents and their tactics, even when he was coaching in amateur village football in Tuscany.

He warned Parker, who rejoined Fulham as first team coach last summer after a spell as Under-18s manager at Tottenham, that the job will take over.

Torrid

Sarri said: “To take this job you have to love football, but you have to forget everything that is around football – otherwise it’s impossible to do this job.”

The former Napoli manager – who has had a torrid fortnight after his team was knocked out of the FA Cup and lost the Carabao Cup final during which he had a row with goalkeeper Kepa Arrizabalaga that overshadowed that Wembley defeat – added: “I don’t have down time.

“I don’t work. For me, this is not work.

“I love football. So, for me, it’s not work. If, in the future, football becomes only a job or work, I’ll have to stop.

“My players had a day off on Thursday but the staff worked and worked very hard.

“We needed to study Fulham, and Dynamo Kiev who we play on Thursday, so we all had to work.

‘‘For the staff it was a normal working day.”