As the season is coming to an end, a number of high-profile names have been targeted as the manager of Chelsea FC for the next campaign. The name that has come up in recent days is that of Antonio Conte, the current Italian National Team coach.
Antonio Conte was a renowned box to box midfielder for Juventus. His formidable reputation precedes him; he won 13 trophies as a player and later 4 trophies as the manager of the same. He guided the club to its first Scudetto in eight years after taking charge. Juventus won three consecutive Serie A titles and one Coppa Italia under the Azzuri boss.
The 46 year old likes to play good football at an intense tempo. His favoured formation while at Juventus was 3-5-2 because of the three midfielders dominating the proceedings at any point of the game. This does not mean he can be thought as a defensive coach because of his similarities to Arrigo Sacchi and Jose Mourinho.
While at Bari, he adopted an attacking 4-2-4 formation because of the talent he had at wings at his disposal. He has deployed many formations like 3-5-2, 4-2-4, 4-1-4-1, 4-3-3 in his managerial career. He is a man who is obsessed over tactical details and is capable of handling various situations.
Conte left Juventus because of the disagreement over finances with the board and if he is appointed at Chelsea then that would be the least of his worries.
The former Bianconeri man is good at transfers too. Paul Pogba, Arturo Vidal and Carlos Tevez were signed by the Italian. He is of the belief that the player performing well will play regardless of the name at the back of the shirt.
Another aspect of Conte’s teams are the unity in which the players play, they play for one another. His teams play out from the back and have a strong defensive unit which can be seen by the rise of Bonnuci and Barzagli. His teams at Juventus were dominating in midfield areas along with the fullbacks which opened up defences for an attacking approach.
The similarities between the rise of Juventus under Conte and that of Chelsea in 2004 can be seen by the success that both the teams had by their ability to win in any given situation. He creates an atmosphere that is helpful for young players to grow.
Some concerns over the Italian are over his record in Europe and also of the fact that his relationship with the media is sometimes tetchy. He is a strong minded person and may sometimes not keep the big players happy.
Antonio Conte will bring a dynamic style of play and might be the perfect fit for the Premier League. After the Jose phase, the blues need a strong figure that can inspire the team and the fans and Conte fits the bill perfectly. The Italian connection at Chelsea is really strong as proved by Vialli, Zola and Di Matteo. His desire to win and his determination will win over the fans quickly. Antonio Conte is the best possible appointment Chelsea can make and it will give them the one thing they have lacked this season and that is Belief.