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Chelsea's merry-go-round of managers is about to take a new turn, with Maurizio Sarri set to become the new boss with the inevitable departure of current boss Antonio Conte just around the corner. While Conte has been immensely popular with the fans, his side's performances on the field have not been good enough for the high expectations of owner Roman Abramovich and he looks like he will be replaced by the current Napoli boss.
In England, Sarri is almost a complete enigma, so what is there to know about the Italian manager?
Managerial record
Maurizio Sarri has never managed outside of Italy and has progressed through minor league football to get to the pinnacle of Italian football. Sarri's big breakthrough came in 2012 when he became manager at Serie B side Empoli. Sarri was able to gain promotion with the side in his second season, playing an attacking free-flowing style of football.
In the following 2014/15 season, Sarri further raised his profile by keeping Empoli in the division with a squad which many thought was not even close to being good enough to do so. His attractive style of football and good results was bound to attract a big club, and with the departure of Rafa Benitez, Napoli decided to appoint Sarri as their new manager.
Sarri proved to be an immediate success at Napoli. His side was never able to beat giants Juventus to the Serie A title, but during Sarri's tenure, he established the club as the nearest challengers to 'The Old Lady' ahead of the Milan sides, AS Roma and Lazio. The Italian was able to get the best out of key players Koulibaly, Jorginho, Hamsik, Insigne and Mertens, creating a side which played with pace and without fear.
The criticism of Sarri by many Chelsea fans may be that he has never won silverware at the top level, but with Chelsea's squad and the money for further investment, Sarri could build on the team Conte created to get the Blues back in the top four and in the hunt for the big trophies.
Playing style
As previously mentioned, Sarri likes his teams to play attacking free-flowing football, with an emphasis on pace in attack, and a strong core in midfield. The full-backs are given free reign to attack forward, with the wingers cutting inside to offer space and to support the striker. The midfield are energetic and run from box to box to support the team. At Napoli, Sarri depends heavily on players such as Hamsik, Allan and Jorginho for their quality distribution of the ball spreading the play in order to break through the opposition's defence. Could one or more of these players be coming to London with Sarri?
This style seems to suit the current Chelsea squad. Star player Eden Hazard is currently playing behind the striker under Conte but if Sarri takes his system to Chelsea, he will be back on the left-hand side cutting in, where many think he is at his most dangerous. Full-backs Marcus Alonso and Victor Moses will enjoy the freedom to attack forward, while former player of the year N'Golo Kante will be a key player commanding the centre of midfield.
Sarri will also have the task of bringing big money signing Alvaro Morata back to form. He has been struggling recently losing his place to January signing Oliver Giroud, but under new management, the Spaniard could turn his form around.
He is a highly regarded tactician and lightning quick attacking play is set to be much more popular with spectators than Conte's more pragmatic defensive approach. This was clearly a massive factor in attracting the interest of Roman Abramovich.
Character
When Chelsea announce the appointment of Sarri it will be back to back Italians managing the club, yet they could not be more different. Whereas Conte is a refined ex-pro player who is smooth and elegant in the way he talks and presents himself, Sarri is nowhere near as polished.
He is a diamond in the rough, who loves to smoke on a cigarette and will tell you exactly what he thinks of you, most probably including a host of expletives. He has been known to leave stadiums during games in order to go for a smoke and was once disciplined for shout racist and homophobic abuse at former Manchester City manager Roberto Mancini.
Watching Conte was entertaining because of his touchline antics but Sarri may be equally as entertaining in interviews and press conferences. He is probably best likened to Neil Warnock rather than Antonio Conte but Chelsea will be hoping that his team's brilliant performances will be the talking point, rather than his maverick nature.
What do you think of the upcoming appointment of Sarri? Do you think he could be a success? I would love to hear your thoughts and feelings in the comments down below.
