Chelsea manager, Maurizio Sarri has denied reports that he attacked his players during a lengthy discussion they had in the dressing in the wake of a 4-0 loss to Bournemouth.
Sarri is said to have chased his coaching staff out of the dressing room leaving him with his players before they discussed.
According to the Italian, he only had a discussion with the players on the outcome of the match without any attack taking place.
“I didn’t attack the players. I talked to them because I needed to understand. Then I went home immediately because I wanted to review the match. There wasn’t another reason.”
On his direct attitude towards his players, the Chelsea boss said:
“I like very well when I can speak to my players about tactical problems. I don’t like to speak about mental problems.”
The former Napoli manager also admitted that the job at Chelsea is tougher than he thought.
“Probably yes, but I knew very well it is very difficult because here the level is very high. It is difficult because this team played another football and won with another style of football. It is very difficult.
“The staff first of all, the players first of all. I said I am probably not able to motivate them. After another match I said probably it is difficult to motivate them. It is part of my job of course. I want to change the mentality, it is a long way.
“I have to involve my players more in my football than we are doing at the moment. Now we have the mentality for doing the match. We have to improve our reactions and improve in the offensive phase. We have a lot of individual phase.
“First of all I want to do very well the Plan A. I don’t want to change something that at the moment doesn’t work very well. First of all, I want to see my football played very well. Then we can go to change something.”
He also had something to say about Hazard who has been playing the way he wants.
“I think he is changing. He was used to playing as an individual player but now he has to play in a cooperative way. It is not easy for him because he became Hazard playing another way. I know it isn’t easy but now he is more available to play this way.”
