Chelsea Reports: Sarri Given a Month to Save his Job

Maurizio Sarri’s fate as Chelsea’s head coach will in effect be determined over the remainder of this month as the Italian seeks to convince the club’s chain of command that he can recover some poise and still deliver Champions League qualification for next season.

 

Sunday’s mortifying 6-0 spanking at Manchester City which is Chelsea’s worst defeat since 1991 and a loss which confirmed a drop from fourth to sixth place, has left Sarri clinging to his position only seven months into a three-year deal.

Sarri will hope to achieve something great in the Europa League on Thursday’s knockout tie at Malmö, which may earn him time, given the competition’s winners gain entry into next season’s Champions League.

Yet eradicating the club who completed last season’s Swedish league at third place would only marginally reinforce his job prospects unless a team clearly struggling to come to terms with his tactical demands can improve their performances over a daunting run of domestic fixtures.

Chelsea face Manchester United in the fifth round of the FA Cup, Manchester City in the Carabao Cup final and Tottenham Hotspur in the Premier League before February runs out, games in which the board will expect to see reasons for optimism.

Final decision over Sarri’s future would still hang on Roman Abramovich, despite the fact the owner has not attended a game this season and now spends the vast majority of his time in Russia and Israel.