LONDON • Chelsea yesterday confirmed that Maurizio Sarri had left the club after one season as manager to join Juventus.

At the same time, the eight-time defending Italian champions announced his arrival on a three-year deal on their website and social media accounts.

In a statement released by the Premier League club, Chelsea said they had terminated his contract, which had two years to run, at the Italian's request.

Sarri won the Europa League in his final Chelsea match, while leading the club to third place in the Premier League.

Chelsea director Marina Granovskaia said: "In talks we had following the Europa League final, Maurizio made it clear how strongly he desired to return to his native country, explaining that his reasons for wanting to return to work in Italy were significant.

"He also believed it important to be nearer his family and, for the well-being of his elderly parents, he felt he needed to live closer to them at this point.

"Maurizio leaves Chelsea with thanks from us all for the work he and his assistants did."

Juventus moved for Sarri after the departure of Massimiliano Allegri, who won the Scudetto in each of his five seasons in Turin, and have agreed to pay compensation to Chelsea, which could rise to more than £5 million (S$8.6 million) depending on how the 60-year-old fares. The Blues will now approach Championship outfit Derby to begin talks with their coach Frank Lampard in hope of appointing Chelsea's all-time top scorer as Sarri's replacement.

Getting the former England midfielder would cost Chelsea around £4 million in compensation, and the Rams are unlikely to let him go without a fight, with the BBC reporting that they are hoping to open talks over a contract extension.

However, that is unlikely to deter owner Roman Abramovich, who is said to be keen to secure his signature well before pre-season training starts in the first week of July.

While Lampard has only one season as a manager under his belt, his lack of experience is not a concern for the Russian, who has reportedly already spoken to him over the phone.

According to the Times of London, Abramovich has personally assured him he will have a "two-year guarantee to demonstrate his worth", with the club currently under a two-window transfer ban unless they succeed in their appeal to the Court of Arbitration for Sport.

THE GUARDIAN