Maurizio Sarri Insists He Had Never Heard of 'Sarriball' Before Arriving in England

23 February 2019 16:43

​Chelsea boss Maurizio Sarri has insisted he doesn't know what fans of the club are referring to when they mention 'Sarriball'. 

The Blues manager is playing to save his job when he comes up against Pep Guardiola in the final of the Carabao Cup on Sunday evening, where anything less than a win could see the Italian sacked.

The Blues have slipped down to sixth in the Premier League table, and were knocked out of the FA Cup by Manchester United on Monday night. Fans have been left angered and unimpressed with the club's recent run of form, which has sparked speculation about Sarri's position at the London club.

Chelsea fans were clearly stating their feelings towards the manager's tactics, with chants of 'F*** Sarriball' echoing around Stamford Bridge against United. The former Napoli manager, however, has insisted he does not a clue what Sarriball is.

The Mirror quoted the manager saying: "I don't know the meaning of Sarriball. As I said in England on the first day, I don't know what Sarri-ball is. I think it's from a journal, I think. In Italy, I have never heard it. I don't know."

The style of play that worked wonders in Naples hasn't exactly worked as well with the Blues, but a style of play with such complexity to it needs time to adjust – with another section of Chelsea fans calling for patience with Sarri. 

Maurizio Sarri

Chelsea make the short trip across London to Wembley to face Manchester City in the Carabao Cup final on Sunday. 

Source: 90min