Chelsea make Zidane and Lampard top manager targets after holding talks on whether to sack Sarri - 7M sport

Chelsea make Zidane and Lampard top manager targets after holding talks on whether to sack Sarri

Real Madrid legend is No1 choice for Stamford Bridge top brass but Derby boss has been thrown into mix


Posted Thursday, February 21, 2019 by Thesun.co.uk

Chelsea make Zidane and Lampard top manager targets after holding talks on whether to sack Sarri

CHELSEA have made Zinedine Zidane and Frank Lampard their top managerial targets should they sack Maurizio Sarri, according to reports.

Blues chiefs last night held talks over Sarri's position after his side, who are sixth in the Premier League, were dumped out of the FA Cup by Manchester United on Monday.

The Italian, 60, expects the axe if Chelsea suffer another humiliation against Manchester City in Sunday's Carabao Cup final - having been on the brink since the 6-0 thrashing at the Etihad ten days ago.

SunSport revealed Zidane is the No1 target among the Stamford Bridge top brass.

The Real Madrid legend, 46, who won three Champions Leagues as Bernabeu boss and another as a player, wants the top job at Chelsea - but only if they can match his terms and ambition.

That includes securing a long-term deal for superstar Eden Hazard, a £200million transfer war chest and a say on new signings.

According to Sky Sports, Chelsea have now added club legend Lampard to their shortlist of candidates.

The Stamford Bridge favourite is in his first season as Derby manager and focused on winning promotion to the Premier League, with the Rams seventh in the table.

Chelsea's all-time top goalscorer Lampard, 40, admitted he was "shocked" by his old club's form - but distanced himself from the hotseat.

Last week he said: "It's certainly a club I respect and a manager that I respect so it wouldn't make me smile or anything different because my job is here.

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"I'm working very hard and my whole thoughts are with Ipswich away on Wednesday, and travelling down to Brighton in the FA Cup [fifth round] at the weekend."

French World Cup winner Zidane is the joint-favourite with bookies to replace Sarri at 2/1 alongside Sarri's assistant coach Gianfranco Zola. Lampard is 10/1.

SunSport exclusively revealed it will cost £5million to sack Sarri - the cheapest pay-off in the Roman Abramovich era.

Sarri is preparing his Chelsea squad for tomorrow's last-32 Europa League clash at home to Malmo, in which they take a 2-1 lead.

Blues fans turned on the former Napoli boss during the United defeat by signing "f*** Sarri-ball" and "you're getting sacked in the morning".

He told talkSPORT after the match: "I have to work on my players, not on the fans.

"I’m concerned about the results. I can understand the fans because the result was not good, but I am worried about the result."



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