​Chelsea keeper Kepa apologises to Lazio boss Sarri over Carabao Cup debacle | OneFootball

Chelsea goalkeeper Kepa Arrizabalaga has finally issued an apology to then manager Maurizio Sarri for his Carabao Cup final meltdown.

The shot stopper, who was then in his first season with Chelsea, refused to come off when Sarri wanted to substitute him during the team's Carabao Cup final against Manchester City.

With the game at 0-0, Sarri felt Kepa was fatigued and should have come off for Willy Caballero.

"I tried to signal that I was OK, that I wasn't injured. But we were at Wembley in front of more than 80,000 people, so of course Sarri didn't understand me," Kepa explained to The Players' Tribune.

"When the fourth official raised the board, clearly I should have come off, and I'm sorry I didn't.

"I was wrong, and I am sorry for everyone who was involved: for Maurizio Sarri, who it seemed like I had undermined in public; for Willy (Caballero), a teammate and a great professional; and for all my teammates and Chelsea fans who had to put up with everything - all the noise that was generated during the game and then in the days after."

"For the next three or four days it didn't stop," Kepa added.

"It was overwhelming. And clearly, most people who saw the pictures thought that I had disrespected Maurizio (Sarri).

"I felt misunderstood, because it had never been my intention to snub the coach. I had only tried to tell him I was I tried to explain this to the press, but I couldn't."