19th April, 2020
Juventus manager, Maurizio Sarri, has revealed that despite having a “conflicted” relationship with the team, many Chelsea players cried in the club’s dressing room when his departure was announced.
Sarri left Chelsea last summer for Juventus after spending just a year at Stamford Bridge.
The 61-year-old led the Blues to win the Europa League, finish as runners-up in the Carabao Cup, and also deliver a top-four finish in the Premier League.
“The higher you go up the ladder, the harder it is to build personal relationships with your players,” Sarri told Juventus’ official YouTube channel.
“Your surroundings change a lot, and it takes longer to build those relationships. I had a conflicted relationship with the Chelsea dressing room but, when I told them I would be leaving, many of them cried.
“I am not so much a person who pats others on the back. I talk a lot about what they do wrong and less about the good things they do.
“I think that has a big impact, but then they learn to appreciate you for who you are. The longest relationships are with the lads I played least, so I think they recognize something once they absorb your character.”