Chelsea boss Maurizio Sarri has revealed the one team he wants to avoid in Friday’s Europa League draw.
Chelsea thrashed Dynamo Kiev 5-0 in Ukraine in their second-leg clash, and must now wait until Friday to find out who they’ll face in the quarter-finals.
Arsenal , Benfica, Napoli and Valencia are among the Europa League ‘s other last-eight clubs, while Eintracht Frankfurt knocked out Inter Milan, and Villarreal and Slavia Prague complete the line-up.
And it is Sarri’s former club Napoli who the Chelsea manager is desperate to avoid – as he says the Serie A high-flyers would be his dream final opponents, according to Metro .
Sarri was sacked by Napoli last summer before joining Chelsea, and after his side’s 8-0 aggregate win over Dynamo Kiev, the Stamford Bridge boss wants revenge over Seria A’s current second-placed team in the final in Baku in May.
“I prefer to find them in the final,” Sarri said. “It means we are in the final, that would make me happy, and Napoli are in the final and that would make me happy.”
Sarri added: “It would be difficult to play them with my history with the club.”
The draw for the quarter-finals and semi-finals of the Europa League takes place on Friday from 1pm. There will be no country protection , meaning Chelsea could face Premier League rivals Arsenal. Chelsea won the tournament in 2013 and are one of the favourites to lift the trophy this season.
Callum Hudson-Odoi in first England U21 call-up
Chelsea ace Callum Hudson-Odoi has been handed his first senior call-up after making his first team breakthrough with some impressive substitute appearances.
The 18-year-old was heavily linked with a big-money January transfer to Bayern Munich but stayed put at Stamford Bridge and now steps up from the Under 19s squad.
Boothroyd has a strong squad to choose from as they prepare for the European championships in the summer by hosting Poland at Ashton Gate on March 21 and Germany at Bournemouth on March 26.
Crystal Palace star Aaron Wan-Bissaka and Leicester ace James Maddison both feature in England’s Under-21 squad after missing out on senior call-ups.