Chelsea boss Maurizio Sarri admits he's a fan of Sassuolo coach Roberto de Zerbi.

Speaking with Corriere dello Sport, Sarri was asked about the coaches he admires in Italy.

He said, “I am cheering on (Marco) Giampaolo. If I reached the big time at almost 60, then he is capable of taking another step up, with all due respect for Samp.

“As for De Zerbi, he is like a more courageous version of what Sarri was at the age of 40. There are things you decide to do or not to do, there are moments where you want to step forward and instead hit the brakes.

“There are situations that give you regrets, of thinking 'damn, I wish I had listened to that spark inside me.' Instead, you postpone, you wait, you regret, perhaps you change your nature. De Zerbi seems to have leapfrogged all these steps.

“Even at his age, he is not afraid, he gives power to his ideas. If he gets it wrong, or even if someone else gets it wrong, the Coach is the one who pays the price, so he may as well take ownership of it straight away.

“I really tip my hat to De Zerbi, in some ways he reminds me of myself 20 years ago, except he's doing it now, at the age of 40."