Maurizio Sarri denies attacking players during ‘angry’ debrief after Bournemouth defeat

Maurizio Sarri has insisted he didn’t attack his players during a lengthy dressing room debrief in the wake of Chelsea’s heavy defeat at Bournemouth.

After Wednesday’s 4-0 humiliation at Vitality Stadium, in which Chelsea conceded all four goals during the second half, Sarri asked his backroom staff to leave the away dressing room to discuss the capitulation alone with his squad.

According to reports, the Italian picked apart Chelsea’s display over the course of 60 minutes and singled out a number of players for their performances, including Eden Hazard.

Cesar Azpilicueta afterwards told Chelsea’s website that “we spoke as men between the manager and the players” and that all involved had been “angry” with the result.

Addressing the meeting on Friday, Sarri said: “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 being direct with 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.”

Sarri also admitted that the challenge of managing Chelsea was tougher than he first 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.”

Citing Jurgen Klopp, Mauricio Pochettino and Pep Guardiola, Sarri argued that the best teams in the Premier League were willing to stick by their managers during adversity.

“They were really patient, we have to work to change the mentality and go on. For me the situation is very clear.”

Of Hazard, who has been accused of playing the way he wants, Sarri said: “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.”