'Not easy': Sarri explains his decision to leave Chelsea

Maurizio Sarri has reflected on his time at Chelsea, explaining the challenges that led to his decision to leave after just one season, despite winning the Europa League.

The Italian manager admitted that while the success in Europe was a significant achievement, his experience in England was far from easy, and the pressure of managing at a top Premier League club took a toll. "I could have stayed at Chelsea. I wanted to come back to Italy because the situation at Chelsea was not easy;" he told The Sun.

Sarri, who replaced Antonio Conte in 2018, guided Chelsea to a third-place finish in the Premier League and secured the Europa League trophy, but his time at Stamford Bridge was often marred by tension with the board.

"My point of reference was only Marina (Granovskaia - Chelsea director). There wasn’t a sporting director so the situation was not so clear. So I wanted to come back to Italy but it was a mistake," he continued. "It would have been better to stay there. I was a little worried about the situation with Chelsea, and the situation inside the club. It was not clear," Sarri concluded.