Sarri's Future Remains Uncertain At Chelsea

Chelsea manager Maurizio Sarri’s future remains up in the air. Every scenario requires another to happen and it is all about which comes first.

“Which came first, the chicken or the egg” is that silly philosophical question kids ask and Neil deGrasse Tyson ruins by taking too seriously. But it appears to be relevant when discussing Maurizio Sarri and his future at Chelsea.

There are multitudes of “if this, then that” that surrounds Sarri’s future. They all tie together and often become cyclical. There is no good place to start on a circle.

Sarri is drawing interest from multiple Italian clubs as many of them are looking to reset. Over the past few weeks, Sarri has been linked to Roma, AC Milan, and now Juventus. Those rumors have weight because it appears Sarri has grown disillusioned by life in London.

The fans have hardly taken to Sarri. The board appears unwilling to appeal the ban. Without reinforcements, Chelsea will be as good as they currently are at best. Sarri, knowing the fans are already upset about the current achievements could be looking for a way out.

But why have the fans not taken when the club has reached two finals and finished third? Some will say it is because Sarri has made little effort to connect with the fans. They will say Sarri has been stubborn tactically and with his player selection. Because he has failed to make that connection with the fans, the fans have failed to support him. Because the fans have failed to support him, he could opt to leave. And because that is likely, the fans feel no reason to feel connected to him. The circle goes round and round.

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The main turning point in all of this could be the transfer ban. Sarri may feel a lack of support from above as well as below if the board opts not to delay the ban and reinforce the side. And that is where Frank Lampard gets dragged into the circle.

Seemingly, if the ban is allowed to remain in play, Lampard is the coach the board wants. There is a sense that he would be much more willing to use the youth to supplement the squad and the year under the ban would include lower expectations that he could benefit from. But all of that relies on Sarri not being the manager.

It does not appear as though the board would be willing to sack Sarri necessarily. Most rumors point to one of the Italian clubs forcing the issue. Now it is circles within circles and it may simply come down to who blinks first.


The board could opt to delay the ban which could be enough to keep Sarri. Sarri could opt to bounce to one of the Italian clubs where he may feel more appreciated. Lampard could opt to turn down Chelsea to protect his young career. Simply put, there is too much going on that relies on something else falling in to place first to make a clear prediction as to which way this will all pan out.


This summer is going to be long. As of right now, everything seems equally likely: Sarri staying, Sarri leaving, Sarri being sacked, Lampard arriving, Lampard rejecting, ban accepted, ban delayed. Like last summer, where Antonio Conte’s sack and Sarri’s appointment were both delayed repeatedly, this summer could turn into a slog of stagnation.