“I was wrong, I’m sorry” — Kepa apologises to former Chelsea boss Maurizio Sarri after EFL Cup final ‘misunderstanding’
Chelsea goalkeeper Kepa Arrizabalaga has issued an apology to former manager Maurizio Sarri after he refused to be substituted off in the club’s 2019 League Cup final defeat to Manchester City.
Kepa, who became the world’s most expensive goalkeeper after moving to Stamford Bridge from Athletic Bilbao in 2018 for £71m, has endured mixed success in west London, with the nadir of his stint arguably coming in that Wembley showpiece.
During Sarri’s sole season at Chelsea in 2018/19, he guided the club to Europa League success, beating London rivals Arsenal, and an appearance in the League Cup final against Pep Guardiola’s Manchester City.
New Customers Only. First Single & E/W Bet Only. 5P Minimum Stake. Odds of 1/1 or Greater. 3 X £10 Bet Tokens. Free Bet Stakes Not Included in Returns. Free Bets Exclude Virtuals. Free Bets Are Non Withdrawable. Free Bets Expire After 30 Days. Eligibility Restrictions and Further T&CS Apply. 18+. begambleaware.org
New Customers only Bet £10* & Get £30* in Free Bets. Sign up, deposit between £5* & £10* to your account & bet365 will give you three times that value in Free Bets when you place qualifying bets to the same value & they are settled. Free Bets are paid as Bet Credits. Min odds/bet & payment method exclusions apply. Returns exclude Bet Credits stake. T&Cs, time limits & exclusions apply.
18+. BeGambleAware.org. New customers only. 3 days to claim and 7 days to place a qualifying bet to receive 4 x free bets. 1 x £10 Horse Racing, 1 x £10 Free Bet Builder, 1 x £10 Acca and 1 x £10 football. 7 day expiry. Exclusions apply. Stake not returned. T&Cs apply.
This promotion is for new customers only. Customers must be 18+. Customers must be residents of the UK/IE. Sign Up using the promo code ‘b30g5′ and make a minimum deposit of £30. Place a minimum £30 bet on any selection with minimum odds of evens (2) and receive a £5 free bet upon bet settlement. BeGambleAware.org. Full terms & conditions apply.
18+ only. T&Cs apply.
Claim Here
18+ only. New customers only. For verified UK clients only. The qualifying bet should start at £10 and have 1.5 or greater odds. Following the qualifying bet, you will receive 4 free bets that can be used one after another. Each free bet lasts for 7 days. Single bet only. Pre-Match or Live. No Cash-Out. Max payout – £500.
18+ only. New customers only. T&Cs apply.
Claim Here
18+ only. *New UK customers only. Min Deposit: £5. Maximum Free Bet: £30. First bet on a Football or Horse Racing multiple with 3+ selections. Overall odds: 3.00 (2/1) or higher. Free Bets available upon settlement of the qualifying bet. This is offer is valid for 7 days from your new account being registered. 50 Bonus Spins credited on placement of qualifying Acca bet. 50x bonus wagering applies as do weighting requirements, bonus Spins only available on selected games and expires 7 days after being awarded. Debit card deposits only (exclusions apply). BeGambleAware.org. Full terms apply
18+ only. T&Cs apply. New customers only.
Claim HereWith the match delicately poised at 0-0 in extra-time, Kepa went down with an apparent injury, prompting Sarri to turn to Willy Caballero. However, as the substitution went to happen, Kepa refused his manager’s instructions and instead stayed on the field, sparking visible uproar from Sarri.
The Spaniard saw the rest of the game out between the sticks and went on to save as penalty in the shoutout as his side lost 4-3 from 12 yards, but his reputation took a massive dent following the incident in extra time, which he has now sought to restore, giving his version of events from that Wembley controversy.
Kepa, talking to The Players’ Tribune, explained: “I tried to signal that I was OK, that I wasn’t injured. But we were at Wembley in front of more than 80,000 people, so of course Sarri didn’t understand me.
“When the fourth official raised the board, clearly I should have come off, and I’m sorry I didn’t.
“I was wrong, and I am sorry for everyone who was involved: for Maurizio Sarri, who it seemed like I had undermined in public; for Willy (Caballero), a teammate and a great professional; and for all my teammates and Chelsea fans who had to put up with everything – all the noise that was generated during the game and then in the days after.”
“It was overwhelming”
The post-match narrative was dominated by that incident, with many pointing the finger at Kepa for refusing to obey his manager’s instructions, which he has since revealed was an “overwhelming” experience, before clarifying it was never his intention to ‘disrespect’ Sarri.
He continued: “For the next three or four days it didn’t stop.
“It was overwhelming. And clearly, most people who saw the pictures thought that I had disrespected Maurizio (Sarri).
“I felt misunderstood, because it had never been my intention to snub the coach. I had only tried to tell him I was I tried to explain this to the press, but I couldn’t.”
