Maurizio Sarri and Eden Hazard working hard to find ‘common ground’, says Gianfranco Zola

Sarri's relationship with the Belgian is under the microscope

Gianfranco Zola says Maurizio Sarri is working hard to find “common ground” with Eden Hazard at Chelsea.

The Blues are on a high after booking a place in the Carabao Cup final on Thursday night via a penalty shoot-out success over Tottenham.

That followed a tongue lashing of his players by Sarri following a limp defeat at Arsenal last weekend.

Hazard was singled out for criticism, with Sarri insisting he “had to do more” – and that was also the case after the Spurs match when the Italian declared that “the potential is higher than the performances” despite a fine overall display and a game-changing goal from the Belgian.

Hazard retorted that he “didn’t care” what his manager said, fuelling speculation that the relationship between the Italian and his most talented attacker was being stretched to breaking point.

But Zola, back as Sarri’s assistant manager at the club where he starred as a player from 1996 to 2003, explained exactly why a higher work-rate was being demanded.

“We try to give him freedom but we are also trying to be an organised team, defensively and offensively but especially defensively,” he said.

“So that’s why we ask Eden sometime to put himself about in working hard. We know it is not his best quality. We understand that he needs to be fresh when he receives the ball. There is no doubt we are on the same page. But we want to find a common ground where he can get the best out of himself and the team can benefit from him, not only when he is scoring goals but when there are moments in the game when we need everyone to defend and to press.

“I have to be fair, he has been trying to do it. We are very demanding because we want to do it all the time. I’m sure we will find a way.”

Sarri has also been deploying Hazard as a central striker instead of his preferred role on the left of a three-man attack.

Sarri used Olivier Giroud as the focal point frontman against Spurs and Hazard has already declared that he hopes to enjoy a prolific partnership with new loan signing Gonzalo Higuain, who could make his debut against Sheffield Wednesday in the FA Cup fourth round tomorrow evening.

Zola’s Chelsea career as a player saw him thrive as a free ranging talent but the Italian revealed he too had been used as a ‘false nine’ in Serie A despite his diminutive 5ft 6ins frame.

“I played out of position, towards the end of my career at Cagliari, also in Parma, when I was playing striker with Faustino Asprilla. We were two false nines.

“I enjoyed that position, a position where you get a lot of balls. I understood when you have a team defending in their own box, it wasn’t the best for me to be always in the box, because it wasn’t my ability. The majority of the time I enjoyed it.”

Sarri’s relationship with Hazard is under the microscope (AFP/Getty Images)

Zola also backed fellow countryman Sarri to smooth things over with his star player.

“Maurizio has got his own temper and his own character but he is a very intelligent person and I believe his intelligence is superior to his temper,” he said. “He is learning and trying to keep his personality. He is adapting to the situation.

“I understand that Chelsea is a team that has high expectations from the supporters, from the media and the owners, and that we need to meet those expectations.

“When you lose a game like we did against Arsenal there is always something going on but you have to accept the criticism, and we are accepting it.

“We are working out the solutions to be better and sometimes in a strong way, like Maurizio was straight after Arsenal by criticising some things. Sometimes the reaction means that you care and you want to be on top of it.”