Maurizio Sarri won the Europa League and guided the Blues to a third-place finish in 2018/19

Cesc Fabregas claims that Chelsea head coach Maurizio Sarri is a "very stubborn" character, following the Spaniard's departure from the Blues midway through last season.

Sky Sports News understands that Chelsea will allow Sarri to leave the club this week to return to Italy to become the new Juventus manager.

The Spaniard made just six Premier League appearances for Sarri's Chelsea in 2018/19, compared to 32 the season before.

Cesc Fabregas has made 13 league appearances since joining Ligue 1 side Monaco in January 2019

Fabregas left Stamford Bridge in January to join Monaco on a free transfer, helping them avoid relegation from Ligue 1.

Fabregas said of his former manager: "He is very superstitious, he is very stubborn in this way.

"He is a manager with his own ideas and he doesn't move from them much.

"He has an idea of how he wants to play and the football that he really wants to play. He doesn't move from it. No matter what you tell him, no matter what you advise him, no matter what your opinion is, he will never change.

"But he did it the way he likes it. He has his own vision of football and, in the end, he is where he is with it and you have to respect that."

Fabregas praised fellow former Chelsea central midfielder Frank Lampard, who guided Derby to the Sky Bet Championship play-off final last season in his debut season in management.

Lampard has been linked with the Chelsea manager's job, speculation which the former England international has dismissed as "obvious".

Frank Lampard has done an excellent job at Derby, according to Fabregas

"I think he has done a really impressive job, it's his first ever job. He changed many things," Fabregas added.

"He had a very difficult squad, an older squad full of players at the end of their contracts as well, he renewed completely the squad, took on young players.

"He played a really aggressive style, attacking football. Really for a first-ever job, I think he has done really good."