Chelsea owner Roman Abramovich has reportedly told the squad that their next manager will be former Juventus manager and current Italian national coach Antonio Conte.
The speculation surrounding the imminent appointment of Antonio Conte as Chelsea’s next manager has reached a fever pitch. In mid February, Conte had reportedly met with the Chelsea board to negotiate a possible deal to take over at the London club in the summer.
Now it has emerged that Chelsea’s billionaire owner Roman Abramovich has personally informed the Blues players that Antonio Conte will be their manager next season, as per a report in Italian publication Corrieredellosport. Abramovich allegedly made this announcement after the Blues match against Southampton in the weekend.
Even before this latest development, it was starting to look increasingly likely that Conte would be the one taking over from interim manager Guus Hiddink for the 2015-16 season. If Abramovich has indeed unofficially informed his players, there will definitely be an official statement made by the club in the near future.
Stamford Bridge getting a taste of Italy
Antonio Conte was very successful with Juventus in the Serie A, leading them to three Scudetto titles including a season where the Bianconeri went undefeated. Conte took over the reins of the national team after the 2014 FIFA World Cup and will have a chance to add to his trophy cabinet if he can lead the Azzurri to the Euro title this year.
The Italian coach’s appointment could prove to be a very astute decision by Roman Abramovich. The fact that his contract with the national side runs out after Euro 2016 means that the Blues will not have to pay a huge amount of money to land him. He comes with immense experience as a player and a manager, and could prove to be the tactical mind to change the landscape of Chelsea Football Club.
