It remains to be seen if the Italian mastermind will continue at Chelsea.
Last weekend Chelsea easily went past Southampton in the semi-finals of the FA Cup. They’ll now play for teh championship against Manchester United on May 19.
Courtesy: Live Sports News
Despite the accomplishment, it’s unclear whether Antonio Conte will survive as manager.
After taking over last year at Chelsea, Conte led Chelsea from mid-table to snatch the league away from Manchester City. The team reached the FA Cup final, losing to Arsenal. This year, Chelsea was ousted by Barcelona, 3-0, in Champions League play.
But the troubles facing Conte are player-related, too. After winning the league last year, one of his players–Diego Costa–claimed that the manager sent him a text notifying him that ‘he’d no longer be in his plans.’ Costa refused to report for duty.
That incident was one of many disgruntling moments, including when Alvaro Morata was brought in from Atletico Madrid to serve as Costa’s replacement. Morata didn’t help much. Chelsea got off to a poor start of the season and lost in the semi-finals of the Carabao Cup.
A significant part of the problem, Conte contends, is that Chelsea often rejects his first choice of players, going for second options instead. Romelu Lakaku, who left Everton for Manchester United, is an example.
But Conte’s issues with Chelsea fits a pattern. The club has had ten managers over the past fourteen years, and it’s now rumored that Conte’s relationship with management has soured.
Those are not the words of a man who’s looking to leave anytime soon. But it remains to be seen if the Italian mastermind will continue at Chelsea.
