Maurizio Sarri feels the League Cup final has actually strengthened his relationship with the Chelsea players and, although he insisted the club has moved on from the Kepa Arrizabalaga incident after fining the goalkeeper, the Italian said one “consequence” for the goalkeeper could be that he starts Wednesday’s Tottenham Hotspur match on the bench.
Sarri said it was the board’s decision to ultimately punish the 23-year-old on Monday, and maintained that the entire controversy against Manchester City was a misunderstanding, and that the only reason he sought to bring on Willy Caballero was due to what he perceived was an injury. The Chelsea boss also stated that he had no intention of walking out of the stadium as he responded with fury, saying he just needed to “return calm”.
Sarri also defended Cesar Azpilicueta for not intervening in the situation, saying he spoke with Kepa and the squad immediately after the game.
Asked whether the controversy has undermined his relationship with the Chelsea squad, Kepa said: “Did you see the match on Sunday? So you have the answer. After the game is the same. No, I think better.”
Sarri said he hasn’t decided whether Kepa would start on Wednesday, but that he has considered further punishing him by putting him on the bench.
“I don't know, I don't know. I have to decide. Maybe yes. Maybe no. I think he is fit. Yesterday he had only a recovery training session, so we have to assess him today, but I think so.”
“It will be a decision for the [good of the] group. For the other players, all the players.”
“I have to decide for my group. Not with my group. I want to send a message to my group. The message could be Kepa is on the pitch, or Kepa is out the pitch.
“He made a mistake. A big mistake. There are some consequences. If the consequence is to play, he has to be ready to play. If the consequence is the bench, he has to be ready to go to the bench.”
Sarri said the decision to fine Kepa was by the board.
“In this club there are some rules, so he has to accept the club's decision.”
The Chelsea squad had a meeting on Monday where Kepa apologised to staff and teammates.
“I spoke with the goalkeeper, with Kepa, of course. Then we spoke all together because he said sorry to the technical staff, but that was not enough. Then he said sorry to his team-mates, to the club. So I think he made a big mistake, but we need to be tolerant. We don't want to kill him. So that is the position of the club.”
Sarri revealed the attempt to bring on Caballero was purely down to what was perceived as a Kepa injury, and not any prior plan to bring on a penalty specialist who knew the Manchester City players from his time there.
“Because I didn't want a goalkeeper with cramp on penalties. Then, Caballero knows very well the other players. He played in Manchester. And so, I think it was better with the goalkeeper in very good physical condition. Then I understood that he was able to go to the penalties. I know very well that penalties are a lottery. In the end, we lost with the post out and the post in.”
That moment saw Sarri react with fury and walk down the tunnel, but he said he did not plan to walk out of the stadium.
“No, I needed one minute to return calm because I was really very disappointed, very upset.”
Sarri also defended the Chelsea players, and particularly captain Cesar Azpilicueta, for not doing more to intervene.
“It was really a very unusual situation, so I think the players were really very shocked. It was impossible to react immediately, I think. Like on the bench.”
“The captain spoke to me immediately after the match. Then he spoke with Kepa. Yesterday we spoke all together. The situation is really very clear in the dressing-room.”
