When Eddie Howe strides out to take his place in the away dugout at Stamford Bridge on Saturday, Chelsea boss Maurizio Sarri will need no introduction to his Bournemouth counterpart.
As he crafted a reputation as one of the brightest coaches in the English game in the early years of his career, Howe sought then-Empoli boss Sarri's advice on how to get an underdog punching above their weight.
The Italian was initially a little perplexed but the two stayed in touch and Bournemouth played out a 2-2 draw with Sarri's Napoli in a pre-season friendly last year.