LONDON/TURIN: Chelsea have confirmed that manager Maurizio Sarri has left the club to take charge of Italian champions Juventus.

The Blues and Juventus have agreed a compensation package, understood to be in excess of £5m, for Sarri, 60, who signed a three-year deal with Chelsea when appointed only last summer.

A club statement said: “Maurizio Sarri is leaving Chelsea Football Club to return to Italy and become manager of Juventus. The two clubs have reached an agreement for the early termination of Sarri’s contract with Chelsea FC which had two years left to run and is ending at his request.”

Former Chelsea midfielder Frank Lampard is favourite to take over Chelsea once a compensation package has been agreed with second tier Derby County whom he led to the promotion playoffs in his first season in management.

Lampard will not have it easy since Chelsea are unable to sign any players after being given a two-window transfer ban by world governing body FIFA, a decision they are challenging at the Court of Arbitration for Sport.

Sarri succeeded compatriot Antonio Conte, who was sacked after two seasons in charge despite winning the Premier League and FA Cup in 2016-17.

After earning glowing references for his tactics at Napoli, he looked to have effectively introduced ‘Sarri-ball’ to his new players as Chelsea started their Premier League campaign with a 12-game unbeaten streak. But the Blues were out of title contention after losing three out of four Premier League games from January to February, including a 6-0 defeat at eventual champions Manchester City, which saw them slip to sixth in the table.

Chelsea then lost 2-0 at home to Manchester United in the FA Cup, when fans booed the Italian’s substitutions and joined in when the visiting supporters sang “you’re getting sacked in the morning”.

Sarri alienated some Blues supporters by moving N’Golo Kante, regarded as one of the best players in the world in a deep-lying midfield role, to the right of a three-man midfield to accommodate Jorginho.

There was repeated speculation about Sarri’s position and this increased when goalkeeper Kepa Arrizabalaga challenged his authority by refusing to be substituted in the Carabao Cup final at Wembley, shortly before Chelsea were beaten in a penalty shootout by Manchester City.

However, he remained in charge – and of the 19 matches played after losing to City at Wembley, his side lost just two, as they won their first European trophy since securing the Europa League in 2012-13. They also held off the challenge of Tottenham, Arsenal and Manchester United to finish third in the league and clinch Champions League qualification.

Under Sarri, last summer Chelsea spent a record £71m on keeper Arrizabalaga, as well as £50m to reunite him with Jorginho, the former Napoli midfielder who struggled in his first season in England. In January, Juventus striker Gonzalo Higuain joined the Blues until the end of the season, again reuniting Sarri with a former player, while £60m striker Alvaro Morata went to Atletico Madrid on loan.

Bayern Munich made a £35m bid for Callum Hudson-Odoi, aiming to capitalise on a lack of game time for the 18-year-old, with England manager Gareth Southgate seemingly showing more faith in the youngster than Sarri. However, the winger did not leave in January and, after getting more first-team football as the campaign progressed, ruptured his Achilles tendon in April.

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