February 25 In History: Kepa Arrizabalaga Refuses To Be Replaced, Wild Speculation About Sarri Spreads Behind It

Kepa Arrizabalaga (Sumber: Commons WIkimedia)

JAKARTA - On February 29, 2019, Chelsea goalkeeper Kepa Arrizabalaga rejected manager Maurizio Sarri's strategy to replace him with William Caballero. The incident undermined Sarri's authority as team manager. Speculation about what was behind the events was widespread.

Chelsea and Manchester City are equally strong. Carabao Cup Final Match failed to lift the winner until normal time ended. The match continued with extra time, in which Kepa appeared twice in need of medical treatment.

He had cramps. At that time, Kepa was also accused of stalling for the match, before finally waving frantically to Sarri and his assistant, Gianfranco Zola, who was on the bench. Sarri also decided to replace Arrizabalaga with William Caballero in the final minutes before the match continued to the penalty shootout.

However, Kepa suddenly refused to be replaced. The refusal sparked an angry reaction from Sarri, who then tried to move toward the young goalkeeper, although he was denied due to being restrained by Antonio Rudiger. Kepa's reaction invited a lot of astonishment. The rejection did not impress his teammates. And Caballero was forced to wait awkwardly on the sidelines.

Wild speculation of the collapse of Sarri's authority at Chelsea

The match continued into the shootout round, with Kepa still under the goal mouth. Kepa's performance is not really bad. In a precarious position, Kepa managed to block Leroy Sane's execution, although then failed to block Sergio Aguero's shot. Chelsea narrowly lost 4-3.

Sarri and Kepa then spoke after the match. Kepa insisted the incident stemmed from a communication breakdown. Kepa said, "It was never my intention to fight the manager." Kepa later reiterated the situation on social media. "I have great respect for the coach and his authority," wrote Kepa.

Even so, most people criticized the most expensive goalkeeper - at that time - who was paid 190 thousand pounds. Quoting The Guardian, Chelsea also tried to explain the incident at the end of the round as a misunderstanding.

Kepa and Sarri also had a chance to strengthen their mutual attitude. The two of them tried to clear up the atmosphere in the dressing room. Even so, Kepa remains responsible for providing further explanations to solve the problem properly, considering that Chelsea at that time will face another tough match in the Premier League against Tottenham Hotspur.

Mauricio Sarri (Source: Commons Wikimedia)

“I am very happy to play in my first cup final for Chelsea and very proud of the team's performance… I have thought a lot more about yesterday's events. Despite the misunderstanding, I know I made a big mistake in the way I handled the situation, "said Kepa.

“I wanted to take the time today to apologize fully and directly to the coach, to Willy, my team-mates and to the club. I have done this and now I want to convey the same apologies to the fans, "said Kepa.

Speculation about the destruction of Sarri's authority in the Chelsea squad has not subsided. Even with all the club's explanations, everyone agreed that this incident had damaged Sarri's authority. Moreover, the Italian coach at that time was indeed under tremendous pressure.

Prior to the match against Manchester City, disappointment with Sarri had already spread to the stands after Chelsea's FA Cup exit by Manchester United. That disappointment is said to have rubbed off on the pitch, with all of Sarri's tactics being questioned.

The mystery of Sarri's departure

Sarri finally left Chelsea leaving behind many mysteries, especially about whether this was dismissal or resignation. What is clear, on June 20, 2019, the coach who was then 60 years old was introduced as coach of Juventus.

The Calciomercato report on Wednesday, 19 June 2019 explained that the decision to leave was taken by Sarri because he was no longer favored by Chelsea management, players and supporters. Chelsea management and supporters have also publicly expressed their dislike for Sarri, complete with reasons.

Zola, Sarri's assistant at Chelsea reveals why Chelsea players hate Maurizio Sarri: a saturated training pattern. "At first the players were very supportive of everything so we all said they were brilliant. They followed everything," said Zola.

Mauricio Sarri (Source: Commons Wikimedia)

"After a few weeks passed, because the number of matches the Chelsea players got tired and bored. However, boredom is part of our job. Sometimes you need to feel bored but when bored you continue to do what you do and get better," he said. Zola.

The dislike for Sarri also arose from Roman Abramovich, the number one person at the club. Realizing that he is no longer respected, Sarri leaves. Sarri's achievements with Chelsea are actually not bad. Sarri managed to lead Chelsea to win the 2018/19 Europa League. Sarri also helped Chelsea finish third in the Premier League standings in the same season.

Meanwhile, for Kepa, disobedience to Sarri's orders resulted in the transfer of one week's salary to the Chelsea Foundation. The club also withdrew their policy of keeping internal sanctions a secret.

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