LONDON: Chelsea manager Maurizio Sarri is confident a good turn he did for Fulham coach Claudio Ranieri will not come back to bite him when his side clash with the Premier League’s bottom club on Sunday.
Sarri, who will hope his side rebound from the 3-1 reverse by Tottenham Hotspur last Saturday, extended an invitation to his fellow Italian to watch a training session when he was in England earlier this season.
“I spoke with him for three days — I don’t remember exactly — one month ago, or 45 days ago,” said Sarri, who dined with Ranieri afterwards in the Chelsea training ground canteen.
“He came to Cobham to see two, three trainings. He wanted to speak with me, with Gianfranco (Zola).”
Ranieri, who was out of work at the time but was hired by Fulham last month after they sacked Slavisa Jokanovic, had years earlier allowed Sarri, then a banker who on the side coached amateur team Antella, to watch a training session at his Serie A outfit Fiorentina.
“I went to speak to him when he was the coach of Fiorentina, 20 years ago, maybe. I don’t remember very well, but I don’t think he can remember this meeting,” said Sarri.
Sarri has revived Chelsea since replacing Antonio Conte, guiding them to fourth in the table — seven points adrift of leaders Manchester City — and the last 32 of the Europa League.
He said he studied Ranieri’s teams from afar, notably the Leicester side he coached to a remarkable Premier League title in 2016.
“Usually a team of Claudio is really very solid,” said the 59-year-old.
“They usually defend very well, sometimes low, but very well.
“Usually he has a team very dangerous at counter-attacks, like in Leicester, but not only in Leicester.”
Sarri said 67-year-old Ranieri, who acquired the nickname ‘The Tinkerman’ during his four year spell in charge of Chelsea from 2000-2004, said he would not go so far as to classify his compatriot as a friend.
“Friend is a big word, I think, but I like him very much,” said Sarri.
Sarri, though, could not fathom why there had not been offers for Ranieri’s services from big clubs following his sacking by Leicester in the 2016-17 campaign.
“Usually the presidents are very strange,” he said.
Ranieri eventually ended up managing mid-level French Ligue 1 outfit Nantes for one season, leaving them in May this year, and was at a loose end when Fulham came calling.
“Usually you can live very well for two, three months, then you’re in trouble,” said Sarri.
“Every coach, I think, is like this. For two months you’re happy because you have time, and after two months you miss adrenaline.”
Chelsea’s Maurizio Sarri not worried by Claudio Ranieri ‘insider knowledge’ ahead of west London derby
Chelsea’s Maurizio Sarri not worried by Claudio Ranieri ‘insider knowledge’ ahead of west London derby
- Sarri is confident a good turn he did for Fulham coach Claudio Ranieri will not come back to bite him
- Sarri has revived Chelsea since replacing Antonio Conte, guiding them to fourth in the table
Tennis world number ones Sabalenka, Alcaraz begin Australian Open campaigns
- Carlos Alcaraz, who could complete a career Grand Slam if he wins the tournament, faces Adam Walton
- Aryna Sabalenka takes on Tiantsoa Rakotomanga Rajaonah as she seeks a third title at Melbourne Park
MELBOURNE: The first round of the Australian Open begins in Melbourne on Sunday.
World number one Carlos Alcaraz, who could complete a career Grand Slam if he wins the tournament, faces Adam Walton, while Aryna Sabalenka takes on Tiantsoa Rakotomanga Rajaonah as she seeks a third title at Melbourne Park.
Top men’s match: Alcaraz v Walton
At 22, Alcaraz could replace Don Budge as the youngest man to achieve the career Grand Slam with victory at the Australian Open. The Spaniard has left no one in any doubt what his main goal is for the 2026 season, saying in November he would rather win a first Melbourne Park crown than retain his French and US Open titles.
His quest to make history will begin with a first-round tie against Australian Walton.
The pair have crossed paths once before, with Alcaraz beating the Australian 6-4 7-6(4) during his title-winning run at the Queen’s Club Championships last year.
Top women’s match: Sabalenka v Rakotomanga Rajaonah
Sabalenka will be bidding to continue her incredible record in hard court Grand Slam tournaments when she begins her campaign against Frenchwoman Rakotomanga Rajaonah.
The Belarusian world number one has reached the final of the last six majors she has played on the surface, winning four of those.
She enters the competition in fine form after retaining her Brisbane International title this month without losing a set, and should have little trouble when she takes on the 118th-ranked Rakotomanga Rajaonah.
Venus Williams is back
Venus Williams, a two-times Australian Open singles finalist, returns to the tournament for the first time since 2021 after receiving a wildcard.
The 45-year-old faces Olga Danilovic in the first round, where she is set to become the oldest woman to feature in the Australian Open main draw by surpassing Japan’s Kimiko Date, who was 44 when she bowed out in the first round in 2015.
Williams has endured a poor start to the season, losing to Magda Linette in the first round in Auckland and to Tatjana Maria in her opening match at the Hobart International.
Despite her defeats, she said she was happy with her level.
“I can’t expect perfection right now, but I know I’m playing good tennis. Winning and losing doesn’t know any age. Once you walk on court, you’re there to compete,” Williams said before her defeat in Hobart.
Australian Open order of play on Sunday
Here is the order of play on the main showcourts on the first day of the Australian Open (prefix number denotes seeding):
Rod Laver Arena
- Day session
Aliaksandra Sasnovich (Belarus) v 7-Jasmine Paolini (Italy)
3-Alexander Zverev (Germany) v Gabriel Diallo (Canada)
- Night session
1-Aryna Sabalenka (Belarus) v Tiantsoa Rakotomanga Rajaonah (France)
1-Carlos Alcaraz (Spain) v Adam Walton (Australia)
Margaret Court Arena
- Day session
Maria Sakkari (Greece) v Leolia Jeanjean (France)
18-Francisco Cerundolo (Argentina) v Zhang Zhizhen (China)
- Night session
10-Alexander Bublik (Kazakhstan) v Jenson Brooksby (US)
Mananchaya Sawangkaew (Thailand) v 28-Emma Raducanu (Britain)
John Cain Arena
- Day session
Arthur Fery (Britain) v 20-Flavio Cobolli (Italy)
- Day session
12-Elina Svitolina (Ukraine) v Cristina Bucsa (Spain)
- Night session
29-Frances Tiafoe (US) v Jason Kubler (Australia)
Olga Danilovic (Serbia) v Venus Williams (US)
