Football
Liam Twomey, Chelsea correspondent 6y

Chelsea changes under Maurizio Sarri 'will take time' - Pedro

Maurizio Sarri is "a very good coach with very good ideas" but will need time to implement them at Chelsea this season, according to Pedro.

Chelsea confirmed the appointment of Sarri as Antonio Conte's replacement on a three-year contract earlier this month, and take on Perth Glory in their first preseason friendly at the Optus Stadium on Monday.

Sarri, who earned praise across Europe for the thrilling style of play he oversaw in three seasons at Napoli, spoke of bringing "fun" to Chelsea at his Stamford Bridge unveiling last week and Pedro believes he is capable of doing it -- but warned that approach is "a very big change for the players."

"It is early," Pedro told the Daily Mail. "It is good, these ideas, it will take time. It is the start of the preseason. Now we have this test against Perth, then Inter Milan and Arsenal [in the International Champions Cup].

"The coach is very motivating. A really good, honest coach. I knew of him and what he did at Napoli. I was not close with him but he is a very good coach with very good ideas.

"When he arrived he was very good with the players, speaking a lot and really, really hammering on the pitch his ideas. It is a very big change for the players."

Sarri's style of play, which earned the moniker "Sarri-ball" at Napoli, has a high-profile fan in Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola, whom he will face with Chelsea in the Community Shield at Wembley next month.

Pedro, who made his first-team breakthrough and won seven major trophies at Barcelona under Guardiola, thinks the two coaches have plenty in common.

"They are similar," he added. "Their intensity, mentality. It is good. It will be an open game for the duration and very good to watch.

"The most important thing is to try really hard and take the manager's ideas in our mind very quickly. It is very important to do this, to test this. Maybe with these players, we can do these ideas."

By that point Chelsea hope to have a little more clarity on the future of Eden Hazard, who fuelled speculation of a move to Real Madrid this summer when he said: "it might be time to discover something different," after six years at Stamford Bridge.

Chelsea remain focused on keeping Hazard despite Madrid's interest, and midfielder Cesc Fabregas said last week that he is in regular contact to try and convince him not to leave.

"For us, it is important he stays," Pedro said of Hazard. "He is a very important player for us."

^ Back to Top ^