Chelsea boss Maurizio Sarri sends brutal message to players in Italian after Arsenal loss
CHELSEA boss Maurizio Sarri has delivered a stunning criticism of his players in his post match interview following the Arsenal defeat and chose to speak in Italian so he could get his full message out.
Maurizio Sarri reacts angrily to loss against Arsenal
Sarri took the unusual step of speaking through an interpreter after the 2-0 defeat and let his players know exactly how he felt.
He questioned their attitude and application and said he was struggling to motivate the group.
The comments will give the Chelsea board a huge headache on the same weekend they were preparing to break the bank on Sarri’s first choice transfer target Gonzalo Higuain.
Chelsea are now just three points clear of the chasing pack in the hunt for a Champions League place.
And Sarri has put everyone on alert over their futures at the club.
“Today I prefer to speak Italian,” he said.
“I want to send a message to my players and I don’t want to speak it wrong in English.
“I have to say that I am extremely angry because this defeat was about our mentally.
Chelsea boss Maurizio Sarri sent a message to his Chelsea players (Image: BT SPORT)
Chelsea boss Maurizo Sarri blasted his players in a stunning interview (Image: BT SPORT)
Maurizio Sarri was furious with his players during the Arsenal game (Image: AFP)
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“They were far more determined than we were, I can’t accept. It was similar to Spurs, I spoke to the players and I thought it was solved.
“I want to talk about the tactics but it would appear that this group of players are very difficult to motivate.”
When asked why he can’t motivate the team he said: “It is a difficult question to answer.
“It seems that they are not aggressive from a mental view, that is down to their characteristics and it is difficult to change.
Maurizio Sarri delivered a brutal assessment of his players (Image: REUTERS)
“You have to influence them, it could be about a new player coming in or one of the old heads taking control.”
Asked if certain players should be worried about their place in the team he said: “I don’t think a player at this level can’t be afraid to face up to their responsibilities.
“The best thing that can happen is that the players and I talk very openly about what happens.
“I am the person responsible for the players and it is important for them to have the attitude, and if they can’t then maybe they shouldn’t be playing at this level.”
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And then asked if he wanted to take the challenge on, he said: “Absolutely.
“I am very aware that this is a team not known for our battling, but we need to be known for adapting and today we didn’t play our own football.
“We were running backwards, we need to be playing one or two touches. We want to play our own football.”