Maurizio Sarri leaving Chelsea and bound for Juventus job

Chelsea announced on Thursday that they had agreed a compensation fee, understood to be in excess of £5million, for the 60-year-old, who told the club he wanted to return to Italy in order to be closer to his family.

"The two clubs have reached an agreement for the early termination of Sarri's contract with Chelsea FC which had two years left to run and is ending at his request," Chelsea said on their official website.

Chelsea director Marina Granovskaia added: "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."

Chelsea added: "We would also like to congratulate him on securing the role as big as any in Serie A and to wish him the best of luck for the future."

Juventus confirmed Sarri has signed a three-year contract and welcomed the former Napoli boss on their official website.

"Maurizio Sarri has returned to Italy, where he has coached for the majority of his career. And from today, he will take over the reins at Juventus with a contract until June 30, 2022," the Serie A champions said.

Sarri only arrived at Stamford Bridge last summer as a replacement for fellow Italian Antonio Conte after spending three years at Napoli.

He guided Chelsea to a third-placed finish in the Premier League and won the Europa League. The Blues also reached the Carabao Cup final, losing out to Manchester City.

But Sarri still endured a tough campaign at the London club as fans were not convinced by his style of play, while he sometimes appeared to be at odds with his players.

The Carabao Cup final was overshadowed by goalkeeper Kepa Arrizabalaga's refusal to be substituted before the penalty shoot-out.

Sarri will now attempt to build on the legacy of Juventus, who parted company with manager Massimiliano Allegri this summer after being crowned Serie A champions for the eighth season in a row.

Sky Bet's market on the next Chelsea manager is headed by former midfielder Fran Lampard who is long odds-on (1/20) to make the move from Derby County after guiding the Rams to the play-offs in his first season in charge.

Should he get the job, 40-year-old Lampard would become Chelsea's first permanent English manager in 23 years.

Rafa Benitez is next in the betting at 9/1.

Maurizio Sarri was the 13th managerial appointment made by owner Roman Abramovich since he took over the club in the summer of 2003, with Jose Mourinho and Guus Hiddink each having two spells.

Here, we look at how those men have fared.

Claudio Ranieri - Sep 2000-May 2004

The Italian was at the helm when Abramovich arrived at Stamford Bridge. After heavy spending he led Chelsea to a second-placed finish in the Premier League and the Champions League semi-finals but faced persistent speculation about his job and was sacked at the end of the season.

Jose Mourinho - Jun 2004-Sep 2007

The Portuguese established himself as a Chelsea hero, winning back-to-back league titles in his first two seasons, one FA Cup and two League Cups. His departure only a month into his fourth season by 'mutual consent' was unexpected.

Avram Grant - Sep 2007-May 2008

A friend of Abramovich, Israeli Grant had been appointed technical director in the summer of 2007. He was controversially made manager after Mourinho's departure and lasted only one season, which saw Chelsea finish second and lose in the Champions League final to Manchester United. He had the best win percentage of any of Abramovich's managers.

Luiz Felipe Scolari - Jul 2008-Feb 2009

Brazilian Scolari was the first World Cup-winning coach to manage in the Premier League but a poor run of form saw him sacked before the end of his first season.

Guus Hiddink - Feb 2009-May 2009

Hiddink was appointed until the end of the season and combined his duties with his post as Russia manager. He lost only one match and won the FA Cup but could not be persuaded to stay.

Carlo Ancelotti - Jul 2009-May 2011

The Italian enjoyed a dream first season, leading Chelsea to a first ever league and FA Cup double, with his side becoming the first to score more than 100 Premier League goals in one campaign. He was sacked hours after finishing second in his second campaign.

Andre Villas-Boas - Jun 2011-Mar 2012

Hailed as the new Mourinho, Villas-Boas' tenure at Stamford Bridge was not a happy one. After talk of a player revolt, he was sacked with Chelsea outside the Champions League places.

Roberto Di Matteo - Mar 2012-Nov 2012

The former Chelsea midfielder had been Villas-Boas' assistant and was made interim manager until the end of the season. FA Cup and Champions League wins earned him a permanent contract but the following season did not go nearly as well and he was sacked.

Rafael Benitez - Nov 2012-May 2013

Benitez was the club's latest interim manager, and unpopular with Chelsea fans because of his Liverpool past. The Spaniard won the Europa League and led the team to a third-place finish in the league.

Jose Mourinho - Jun 2013-Dec 2015

'The Special One' returned to win a third Premier League title in 2014-15 as well as the League Cup but, after signing a new contract, a dismal start to the following season saw him leave the club for a second time.

Guus Hiddink - Dec 2015-May 2016

Hiddink's second caretaker spell could not match the impact of his first but he did manage to stabilise the club.

Antonio Conte - Jul 2016-Jul 2018

The Italian enjoyed a terrific debut season, with Chelsea dominating the Premier League and winning the title by seven points, but entered his second under a cloud after appearing to criticise the club's transfer policy. The Blues finished fifth in the Premier League, missing out on a Champions League place, and even an FA Cup win could not save Conte.

Maurizio Sarri - Jul 2018-Jun 2019

The club won Sarri's first five league games at the helm and were unbeaten in 12, but a relative dip early in the new year put their Champions League qualification in doubt and saw Sarri's tactics questioned. They recovered to finish third, reached the League Cup final and won the Europa League but still find themselves seeking a new manager.