Serie A

Sarri: Juventus chief in Baku to sign Chelsea manager

The president of Juventus, Andrea Agnelli, met with Maurizio Sarri on Wednesday morning, ahead of the Europa League final against Arsenal.

El entrenador italiano del Chelsea, Maurizio Sarri.
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Calum Roche
Sports-lover turned journalist, born and bred in Scotland, with a passion for football (soccer). He’s also a keen follower of NFL, NBA, golf and tennis, among others, and always has an eye on the latest in science, tech and current affairs. As Managing Editor at AS USA, uses background in operations and marketing to drive improvements for reader satisfaction.
Update:

Juventus president Andrea Agnelli allegedly met with the Chelsea manager, Maurizio Sarri, in Baku, Azerbaijan, on Wednesday morning. According to reports, this get together was to finalise a deal that will take the Italian coach back to Serie A, as a replacement for the recently departed Massimilliano Allegri.

Does Sarri finalise Juve deal on day of final?

Reports from Tuttosport stated that both men, and their appropriate representatives, met at the Four Seasons hotel in the capital city that was chosen, controversially, by UEFA as the host of the Europa League final, where Chelsea face off against London rivals Arsenal.

Agnelli and Sarri apparently spoke in the morning to agree a plan for the Turin move, with Fali Ramadani acting as mediator, with discussions taking account of any compensation elements that may be required if Chelsea are unwilling to allow him to leave without completing his contract. With many fans unhappy with what they've seen at Stamford Bridge under Sarri's leadership - despite him securing Champions League football for next season and potentially lifting a European trophy - this could faciliate a smoother exit.

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One set of fans that are against him taking over at the Serie A champions is that of Napoli. They have strong feelings for the manager that served them so well during his time there and some see this move to their rivals as a 'betrayal'.

Chelsea vs Arsenal in the Europa League final kicks off at 21:00 CEST, and you can follow all the action live with AS English.

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