Chelsea head coach Maurizio Sarri said an exchange with Liverpool boss Jurgen Klopp helped him realise that he has “reached the top” by swapping Serie A for the Premier League.
Sarri has made an unbeaten start to life in the Premier League after 12 games in charge of Chelsea, setting a new record, and he waxed lyrical about his experience of English football since leaving Napoli.
Chelsea were involved in a pair of gripping matches against Liverpool in September and Sarri shed light on a conversation with opposite number Klopp on the touchline.
The 59-year-old described the moment in an interview with Gazzetta dello Sport, saying: “At one point I turned to him [Klopp] and saw that he was smiling.
“I approached and asked him why.
“He told me ‘I’m having a good time, you?’ ‘Me too,’ I replied.
“Here, when you live these situations, you realise that you have reached the top.”
“I feel closer to Klopp from a philosophical point of view,” said Sarri. “The exchange of words between us seems to me to be exemplary.
“Mourinho is a man of extraordinary human qualities. He made an excellent impression on the day of the Stamford Bridge match when the incident involving one of my assistants occurred.
“On a professional level, there is little to say: he has won everything and everywhere.
“Emery is a scholar and an excellent professional. The offensive organisation of his football is of the highest level.”
