What's the story?
Chelsea manager Maurizio Sarri had his say on the recent dismissal of Jose Mourinho as Manchester United head coach. In a press conference, Sarri revealed that losing a manager like Mourinho is a big loss for the Premier League.
Sarri also conceded that he respects Mourinho as a manager because he had won everything there is to win everywhere, but also added that he respects him most for the kind of man he is.
In case you didn't know...
Mourinho was sacked by Manchester United this week following a shaky start to the season. Poor performances under him left the club trailing the league leaders Liverpool by 19 points.
Apart from the on-field disappointments, his relations with the club's management also turned sour this season, with Mourinho repeatedly blaming lack of funds and failure to secure top signings as the reasons for their disastrous season.
Mourinho has now been fired from four of his last five jobs.
The heart of the matter
Sarri spoke to the media at a press conference ahead of Chelsea's league clash with Leicester City this weekend. Though he agreed with Mourinho's statement that Manchester United has a future without him, he conceded that the Portuguese's departure is a loss for the English top flight.
When asked about Mourinho's departure and its effect on the league, Sarri replied:
"I think so [that Mourinho will be a big loss to the Premier League]".
He added:
"As you know, Mourinho won everything, won everywhere, so I like him very much as a coach and as a man but I think he is right when he said that Manchester United has a future without Mourinho, but also Mourinho has a great future without Manchester United."
Finally, he expressed his desire to see the former Blues manager back in action soon and joked that he doesn't want Jose replacing him at Stamford Bridge. He continued:
"I like him very much and I’d like to see him on a bench as soon as possible, maybe in England, not here (laughed)."
What's next?
Mourinho has refused to comment on his sacking, explaining that he wants to live a normal life until he decides to return to football.
Meanwhile, Manchester United will be heading to Wales, to face Cardiff City in their first Premier League fixture under caretaker manager Ole Gunnar Solskjær.