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By ZAC CAMPBELL Published: 08: 54 AEST, 17 July 2025 | Updated: 08: 54 AEST, 17 July 2025 View comments Former Chelsea manager Maurizio Sarri has been rushed to hospital after falling ill during a Lazio training session on Wednesday. Sarri, 66, was reportedly unwell amid scorching temperatures in Rome that exceeded 30C in the Italian capital. That saw Lazio release a statement to give an update on his welfare later in the day. The club said: 'Coach Sarri is returning to Formello and, as scheduled, will lead the training session at 6: 00 PM as usual. 'This morning, he underwent a thorough fitness check, more comprehensive than the tests conducted on the players at the Training Center. ' The Italian endeared himself to Premier League fans during his sole season at Chelsea due to his bizarre propensity for chewing cigarette butts on the touchline. A former Chelsea manager was rushed to hospital after falling ill during a training session The individual enjoyed a successful time during his sole season at Stamford Bridge He did so to combat the rule that all English stadia were strictly non-smoking venues, which prevented him from puffing away in the dugout as he has done elsewhere during his managerial career. While some fanbases poked fun at those antics, he ultimately had a successful solitary campaign in west London. In addition to guiding the Blues to a third-place finish in the Premier League, he also won the Europa League before leaving his role as Chelsea manager. He followed that up with a single-season spell at Juventus before a one-year sabbatical and a move to the Bianconeri's Serie A rivals Lazio. Sarri then went on have another 15-month sabbatical in 2024 before he was reappointed as Lazio manager on a two-year deal last month. In November last year, Sarri opened up on his exit from Stamford Bridge and admits he feels regret at his decision. 'I could have stayed at Chelsea, ' he told The Sun. 'I wanted to come back to Italy because the situation at Chelsea was not easy. In that period Abramovich was not allowed to go to England. 'I only saw him at games abroad. We had some telephone calls but not very often. Sarri guided Chelsea to their second Europa League trophy in 2019 'My point of reference was only Marina (Granovskaia - Chelsea director). There wasn’t a sporting director so the situation was not so clear. So I wanted to come back to Italy but it was a mistake. 'It would have been better to stay there. I was a little worried about the situation with Chelsea, the situation inside the club. It was not clear. '
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