Maurizio Sarri has revealed that he discovered the path had been cleared for him to head for Chelsea after watching Carlo Ancelotti’s appointment as the new Napoli boss on television.
The Serie A outfit turned to the former Real Madrid and Bayern Munich manager amid much uncertainty surrounding their coaching position.
Sarri oversaw a runners-up finish in 2017-18, but his future was called into question as links to Chelsea started to emerge.
He was removed from his role in Naples, but was still tied to a contract and unable to piece together future plans.
That situation resolved itself once Ancelotti was approached, but Sarri knew nothing about goings on at Stadio San Paolo after being kept out of the loop by controversial Napoli president Aurelio De Laurentiis.
“I found out about Ancelotti's appointment at Napoli from the TV while I was at dinner with one of Giuntoli's [Napoli's sporting director] staff members,” Sarri told Il Mattino.
“We were discussing my future, if I stayed or not.
“I don't know why I am not at Napoli anymore, ask the club.
“Now I am at Chelsea and I'm happy about it.
“The release clause in my contract with Napoli expired on May 31, but De Laurentiis appointed Ancelotti on the 21st. I hope Ancelotti can succeed where I failed, the city and the supporters deserve to win the Scudetto.”
Getty ImagesWhile acknowledging that his departure from Napoli could have been handled better, Sarri is not ruling out a return to his hometown club in the future.
He is, however, determined to succeed at Chelsea for now, with the Premier League presenting him with an entirely different challenge to that he had grown accustomed to in Serie A.
Sarri added: “Here [football] is totally different, it's a celebration. It's great to see supporters of opponent teams meet to have a beer together before the game.
“Finishing my career at Napoli could be a goal of mine, but first I want to stay here at Chelsea, a fantastic club, for a very long time.
“Everything is amazing here, there's nothing I don't like about it. Being the coach of this team is like a dream.”