Maurizio Sarri faced questions about whether his style of play can succeed in the English top flight and about his own future when he spoke to the media after an unprecedented 6-0 Premier League loss for Chelsea.
The defeat came away to reigning champions Man City who were in outstanding form and were four goals to the good at half-time, with Sergio Aguero completing a hat-trick in the second half.
When he was asked whether this result and other recent ones make him doubt his style of football can ever work at Chelsea, Sarri’s answer was clear…
‘No, because today I did not see my football. No, because at the beginning it worked so now we need only to understand the reason why at the moment it is not working.
‘It is not easy. In the beginning we played better away than at home, now we play better at home than away, something has changed. At the moment I am not able to see the reason but I have to work for this, because my target is to play my football, it is not to change to another football. At the moment we are playing another football.’
After defeat at Arsenal last month, the boss said it seemed it was difficult to motivate this group players. He was asked if motivation had been lacking in Manchester too…
‘I don’t think so. My feeling during the week was really very good, yesterday during the meeting it was really very good and in the warm-up it was really very good. So my feeling was that in this match, the motivation was at the right level.
‘We started well and then we conceded the goal after four minutes in a stupid way. At that moment we only had to stay in the match but we were not able with the mind to do that as we made a lot of mistakes against the wrong opponents, as we have to say also that Manchester City played fantastic football.’
MAURIZIO SARRI’S POST-MATCH PRESS CONFERENCE
The question came in whether after this performance and Chelsea’s general form, did he fear for his job?
‘I don’t know, you have to ask the club. I am worried about my team and worried about the performance but my job is always at risk, and so I am not worried about the club. You will have to ask the club.’
Sarri also cleared up not shaking hands with Pep Guardiola after the final whistle and his explanation was confirmed by his opposite number when the City boss spoke to the press…
‘I did not see him at that moment,’ Sarri said. ‘But of course as usual I will go to say hello to him later. It was by chance because I wanted to go to the dressing room, at that moment I did not see him. I do not have a problem with Pep.’chelseafc.com
