Frank Lampard has talked about his Chelsea departure for the first time and has revealed some ‘flattering’ offers he’s received to return to management.
The Stamford Bridge legend, 42, replaced Maurizio Sarri as Chelsea boss in July 2019.
He steered the Blues to a fourth-place finish in his first season in charge, gaining 66 points.
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However, he was sacked in January with the club sat in ninth place. They had picked up just two wins in their previous eight league matches.
Speaking about the exit, Lampard said (via talkSPORT): “Nobody wants to lose their job and come out of the game you love, but at the same time … when you go into this career, this will happen, no matter how good you think you are or whatever circumstances you are in.
“I’m absolutely appreciative of the opportunity I had to manage Chelsea.
“It was an incredible time. Everyone knows how I felt about the club.
“Football has consumed my life, firstly as a player and then as a manager. Nobody wants to lose their job.
“But when you go into this career, it can happen, no matter how good you think you are.
“It’s given me a lot more time to be at home. It’s been great to be around the family.”
When asked about any managerial approaches, Lampard added: “I’ve had some opportunities that have come up in the last six weeks, two months, that have been flattering but not the right thing.”
Lampard’s sacking initially caused outrage amongst most Chelsea fans. They wanted their former player to be given more time, to help the young squad progress.
However, the arrival of Thomas Tuchel has brought with it plenty of benefits.
He went on a 14-game unbeaten run in the Premier League before the 5-2 loss to West Brom.
The Blues are also doing well in Europe. They overcame Atletico Madrid 3-0 on aggregate in the Champions League round of 16 and are in a good position against Porto for the quarter-finals.
Many thought the Chelsea job came too early for Lampard in his managerial career.
He had only been in charge of Derby County for a year when his old club came calling.
Managing outside of the top six, or even outside of the Premier League, would give Lampard a chance to rebuild his confidence.
He’s been linked with the Crystal Palace and Celtic jobs.
The post Lampard opens up on Chelsea exit; reveals ‘flattering’ offers appeared first on Football365.