‘At the moment, no’: Maurizio Sarri denies interest in Italy return after leading Chelsea to Europa League final as he admits side ran out of fuel in second half against Eintracht Frankfurt
- Chelsea boss Maurizio Sarri has ruled out a return to Italy this summer
- The Italian has led the Blues into two major finals in his first season
- Sarri has faced criticism from his own fans after joining from Napoli
Maurizio Sarri has dismissed a return to Italy this summer after leading Chelsea to the Europa League final with a penalty shootout win over Eintracht Frankfurt.
Eden Hazard stroked home the deciding spot kick after 90 minutes and extra time could not separate the two sides at 2-2 on aggregate.
Despite persistent criticism from his own fans the Italian has now taken Chelsea to two major finals in his first season and already secured qualification for the Champions League next year.
Chelsea manager Maurizio Sarri has ruled out a return to Italy this summer
Sarri (left) has led Chelsea to two major finals in his first season since joining from Napoli
And he indicated after the dramatic events at Stamford Bridge that he has no intention of leaving the club.
When asked if a return to Italy was on the cards, he replied: ‘At the moment, no.’
Chelsea scored first on Thursday night through Ruben Loftus-Cheek to take a 2-1 lead on aggregate before Luka Jovic equalised early in the second-half.
Sarri admitted his players tired as the game wore on.
Chelsea players celebrate after Eden Hazard’s penalty sent them into the Europa League final
‘It was obvious that if we couldn’t finish it off in the first half, it’d be really tough, as Eintracht are a very dynamic side who exploit spaces well,’ Sarri told Sky Sport Italia.
‘We ran out of fuel in the second half, did well in extra time to hold out.
‘I thought it must’ve been very entertaining for the neutral, but it was a lot of suffering for us on the touchline.’