REVEALED: What Juventus stars do to Maurizio Sarri over his smoking habit

Giorgio Chiellini says formers Chelsea manager Maurizio Sarri’s smoking habit is so bad that Juventus players have to shower after seeing him.

The Juventus defender said players leave the former Chelsea boss’ office absolutely reeking of fags.

The Italy captain said in his autobiography Io, Giorgio: “He’s got a very closed-off personality, doesn’t let much slip, even if Juventus managed to whittle down some of his sharper edges.

“The one thing nobody has been able to change is his outlandish attachment to cigarettes.

“You can only go and talk to him in his office before a shower, still wearing your playing kit, because otherwise we’d stink of smoke.”

Victor Moses opens up on how Antonio Conte transformed his career at Chelsea

Chelsea loanee Victor Moses has explained Inter Milan boss Antonio Conte on his career, saying “he totally changed my game to be honest.”

Moses helped Chelsea win the Premier League and FA Cup under Conte between 2016 and 2018, before following the man he considers his ‘mentor’ to Inter in January.

“It’s an honour to link up once again with an important figure in my career,” the Nigeria wingback told The Nation.

“He is my mentor and friend. I have played under a lot of managers and I’ve loved every single one of them. The most important one was Antonio Conte.

“At Chelsea he just came in and changed everything. He is an amazing man; he totally changed my game to be honest. He gave me that fighting spirit to believe in myself and to enjoy my football same time.

”And then when he came that first season, we won the league, the following season we won the FA Cup.

”It was an amazing season for me under Antonio Conte and I’ll always respect him for that, he’s an amazing man.

“I’ve never played that [wingback] position before. When the manager came in, he talked me through it and then put me there.

“It was good to have the manager’s support, and he backed me and gave me the confidence to go out there and express myself. So I just wanted to go out there to play for him, the fans and the football club. I didn’t let him down.

“I’ve come to realise that you play better under a coach that believes in you and that is what Conte has done for me. I’ve played three matches and it’s been wonderful.

“I feel better already. Before the lock down I’ve played three games. I started the match away to Udinese and we won 2-0. It is good for the team. We are playing for the good of the team.”

The 29-year-old then admitted playing in Italy was ‘not easy’, judging by his first seven appearances for the Nerazzurri.

“It is not easy, it is very tactical. It is important for me to put myself at the service of the team and my teammates but the manager has been of tremendous help.

“He tells me what to do and I try to remember and follow most of his instructions. He is one of the best managers in the world.

“He played football himself and he has a lot of passion. I am very happy to work with him again.”

Henry Thierry reveals what he told Arsene Wenger on Cesc Fabregas first day at Arsenal

Thierry Henry has revealed what he said to Arsene Wenger on former Chelsea midfielder Cesc Fabregas’ first day at Arsenal.

Speaking to Fabregas on Puma Football’s Instagram, Henry said: “I remember the first time you trained with us and I looked at you… I’m sorry I had a bad haircut but that haircut you had was pretty bad.

“I looked at you and in those days the shirts were too big for anyone but on you it was like you had a dress on it was so big.

“I looked at the boss and said: ‘Who the hell is this?!’ and he said ‘Oh it’s the kid he won the World Cup with the U17s’ and I went ‘Oh that’s him he finished best player or top scorer or whatever it was’.

“So I remember people were talking about you. I saw you coming and man… I saw you and then the team it was you against Patrick [Vieira] and Gilberto [Silva] and went ‘oh my gosh all the very best’ but then you started moving the ball around, playing one-twos.

“People like Patrick and Gilberto couldn’t get near you and that’s when we knew you could play with us straight away. Then you go and score in the Carling Cup and the rest is history.”

Photo Credit: Reuters

Frank Lampard keen to extend Giroud, Willian Chelsea contracts

Chelsea boss Frank Lampard has confirmed his intention to extend the deals of Olivier Giroud and Willian until the end of the 2019/20 season.

The pair are both due to see their deals at Stamford Bridge expire on June 30, which looks set to be just a few weeks after the league resumes amid the coronavirus crisis.

Football.london report that Premier League clubs have approved legislation that will allow for short-term extensions to contracts that are due to expire next month, lasting until whenever the end of the 2019/20 season will be.

The 31-year-old Brazilian has been linked with moves to Tottenham and Arsenal, while the Frenchman is reportedly keen to join Inter Milan.

But Lampard told Sky Sports: “It is still uncertain if and when play will get underway. We have big players [out of contract] so that’s something I’m obviously looking at very carefully.

“The ones who are out of contract here have been great servants for the club, and actually have a lot of feeling for the club.

“Of course they’ll be concerned about themselves, in terms of how training is now is and if the pre-season is a rush they’re going to have to make sure they’re alright.

“So it’s going to have to be something we have to look at, hopefully we can make that arrangement can be made so they can stay with us.

“I would love the squad to look as it has all season, but we’ll have to see how that works.”

Olivier Giroud targets beating legend’s goal record

Chelsea striker Olivier Giroud has revealed that he is still dreaming of clinching 100 caps and beating Michel Platini’s goal record for France despite the coronavirus delay.

The 33-year-old has made 97 appearances for his country and scored 39 times, just two behind Platini’s haul.

He told French newspaper Le Dauphine Libere: “I am at 97 caps and I hoped to reach the 100 mark at the March and June friendlies. This is only a postponement.

“Regarding the number of goals, I am only two off Michel Platini, it is also clearly an objective.”

“What Mourinho did (at Inter Milan) was terrible”

Former Inter Milan President Massimo Moratti has taken a swipe at former Nerazzurri managers Jose Mourinho, Roberto Mancini and Rafa Benitez on his 75th birthday, saying ‘what Mou did was terrible.’

The Nerazzurri won the Treble in 2010, but on the eve of the Champions League Final with Bayern Munich, Mourinho had already agreed terms with Real Madrid.

“It’s Inter’s destiny, I suppose,” Moratti told La Stampa newspaper as cited by Football Italia.

“We won the Scudetto against Parma with Mancini on the bench, I had already signed Mourinho and didn’t know how to get out of it.

“Then there’s the night in Madrid… After that, at the Club World Cup in Abu Dhabi, Benitez let loose and told us he wanted to leave. Let’s just say Inter always found a way of complicating positive situations.

“If I look back now, what Mou did was terrible, but we got along so well and I knew that intervening would’ve just raised the tension, so I stayed quiet, even though I was aware of what was going on.

“It would’ve been like asking an athlete just before the 100m race what shoes he was wearing. You just want him to win. Let’s say that Mourinho didn’t want to run the 200m race too, but he could’ve waited until the morning after to tell me about it.”