Chelsea told to ditch Italian job if Sarri is moved on after one season

Chelsea have been urged to ditch their penchant for Italian coaches if the decision is made to part with Maurizio Sarri, with Frank Leboeuf suggesting that a change in approach is required.

The Blues are enduring a testing 2018-19 campaign – their first with former Napoli manager Sarri at the helm.

A top-four finish and Europa League glory remains within reach, but the season could still fizzle out to nothing for a side that have already suffered defeat in the Carabao Cup final.

Questions are being asked of Sarri amid the struggles, particularly away from home, and he is being linked with a hasty return to Serie A – with Goal revealing that Roma could be one option.

Former Blues defender Leboeuf would prefer to see faith shown in a man still adjusting to English football, telling ESPN FC: “I think it’s been a difficult season for him, I think for some players as well we are at the end of a cycle so maybe some players need to go to be replaced with others who can prove that they deserve to go to Chelsea Football Club.

“And I think that when you take a decision, you have to make sure that you will stick to that one and give another chance, another season for the coach that you decided to buy.

“He wasn’t very efficient for the first year, but what he did with Naples was quite amazing so he may be able to do it with a second year if you think he will be able to.”

While calling for stability in west London, Leboeuf believes Chelsea should look for a manager with a greater understanding of the Premier League if they do decide to make another change.

He added on a club that has had the likes of Gianluca Vialli, Claudio Ranieri, Carlo Ancelotti, Roberto Di Matteo and Antonio Conte at the helm in recent times: “One thing I want to do and I want to say to Chelsea Football Club is what is that tradition of getting Italian coaches all the time?

“And I’m not trying to [say] ‘please take a French one’, but maybe they have some coach in England who understands better the culture of English football and maybe others like Germans, like we see with Jurgen Klopp at Liverpool.

“I don’t know what is the tradition of getting an Italian coach at Chelsea all the time. But lately it hasn’t been a very good idea, so maybe after Sarri will be the time to change it, get another nationality to see another football, another type of experience and another spirit maybe on the field.”

Chelsea are currently sat sixth in the Premier League table, three points adrift of the Champions League places with eight games remaining.