Chelsea manager Maurizio Sarri has achieved top four and could win the Europa League. Doing so would put him on par with Rafa Benitez’s season in Blue.
Maurizio Sarri is such a different manager than what Chelsea normally goes for. Naturally, that means he is compared to his predecessors at almost every turn.
Earlier in the season, everything felt very much like Luiz Felipe Scolari. Many times, it has felt like Andre Villas Boas trying to convince the world he had reinvented the game.
But now Rafa Benitez feels like the most appropriate comparison. Sarri is being lauded for his achievements this season after qualifying for the Champions League. But Benitez did the same and was forced out of the Bridge.
Neither manager had “a proper preseason” which in Sarri’s case is the weakest argument of all time considering he arrived a week into preseason. Both had poor striking options (Sarri’s by choice with Gonzalo Higuain). Both have stubbornly dismissed the criticism from the Bridge and stuck dogmatically to their way.
The excuse will be that Chelsea’s squad was much stronger then. But that is hindsight playing into things. The squad finished sixth the year before while winning the Champions League, but few would have said before the Champions League or during Benitez’s tenure that the squad was good enough. It took Jose Mourinho coming in to show that it was up to par.
Chelsea finished fifth last year and there is still a sense that the squad is not good enough. But it is. Compare Chelsea’s team to the top four rivals. The only place they do not lead is striker and perhaps midfield compared to Tottenham. Everywhere else, Chelsea has the better players and third is the least that should be expected.
Benitez was booed at the Bridge, much as Sarri has been. Both achieved top four finishes. And a Europa League win would put Sarri on par with Benitez’s season. But why is it good enough for Sarri but not for Benitez?
Benitez failed to stay on at Stamford Bridge because he never truly won the fans over. He tried, which is more than Sarri can say, but he pushed back as well (something Sarri has mostly avoided doing to his benefit). Either both Benitez and Sarri achieved success and deserved more time, or neither did. It cannot be as simple as pick and choose because they had so many things in common.
Ultimately, Sarri will stay or go on his own volition. The transfer ban and Italian clubs sniffing around him will surely play a part in his decision. As for the board, they will worry about the current division in the fan base over Sarri, just as they did with Benitez. If an opportunity comes to reunite the masses, they probably would not hesitate to act.
But for now, Sarri and his supporters can cherish their achievements. Just be sure to ask them how they Benitez. If they wanted him out but want Sarri to stay, they are cutting corners somewhere.