Maurizio Sarri has seen his training methods branded”dull”, with Mateo Kovacic pleased to have seen Chelsea move on from the present Juventus boss and create”exceptional” Frank Lampard.
The Blues spent just one season working under the guidance of an enigmatic Italian trainer.
Sarri delivered Europa League success during his solitary effort in England but opted to head back to his homeland in the summer of 2019.
Stamford Bridge legend Lampard was appointed in his place and his man-management skills have earned lots of plaudits.
Kovacic is among those to have spoken up a man who took lots of important coaching lessons from Jose Mourinho, with Chelsea finding another manager capable of delivering both success and fun.
The Croatia international midfielder told FourFourTwo: “I came to Chelsea under Sarri, but I must say that Lampard is an exceptional manager.
“He has maintained the character he had as a participant in his character as a coach, which has inspired all of us.
“He commits himself with everything he’s got. Training is always challenging and different from last season.
“That is probably the main difference between Lampard and Sarri, who made the idea of training quite dull.
“There were a lot of similar training sessions with a focus on strategic preparation.
“[Zinedine] Zidane was comparable to how Frank Lampard is a training, and their approaches really suit.”
Kovacic is enjoying working under Lampard since the former England international knows what it takes to flourish in the midfield engine room.
Priceless advice is being passed on, while tactical tweaks have introduced the shackles that some found themselves working in during Sarri’s reign.
Kovacic added: “I need to admit that I am really enjoying it so far.
“I play the ball a lot more and have greater freedom of motion, that’s why I believe I’ve put in some great performances this season.
“Last year I had been tied to a particular place, which became a bit predictable for our opponents and consequently made it tougher for me.
“Sarri did not need long balls from the defence when we were under pressure, which led us into some tough situations.”
“Lampard, on the other hand, gives us more freedom to assess situations. It’s shown to be a great tactic, as it provides us unpredictability. We have scored lots of different goals this season.”
Lampard has guided Chelsea into fourth place in the Premier League table, while also overseeing runs through the last 16 of the Champions League and fifth round of the FA Cup.
