Antonio Conte Warns Chelsea Hierarchy Not to Be 'Stupid' & Give Him Chance to Rebuild
Antonio Conte has urged Chelsea's hierarchy to approach his managerial position with intelligence, and not to make a "stupid" decision.
The Italian coach's future remains in doubt after two successive Premier League defeats against Bournemouth and Watford.
Chelsea sit in fifth place ahead of Monday night's game against bottom club West Brom at Stamford Bridge, and pressure is building on Conte following a dismal run of form.
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But they remain in contention for the FA Cup and Carabao Cup, as well as the Champions League.
“You continue to work with a manager or coach not because of what he achieves in one season but because you trust in him,” Conte said - quoted by the Guardian. “Then you build something with him.
“But it doesn’t mean you have to win something, because that’s not simple. Not easy. Especially in England. The way I look at it, you can win [a trophy] but, at the same time, the club might not be happy to stay with you. In that case, [they might consider] it’s right to send the coach away.
"At the same time, you can trust in a coach and his work and continue with him even if you don’t win, and try and build something important.
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“There are two ways. There is a stupid way and an intelligent way. This is my opinion. At the same time, I have great respect for everyone’s opinion. If the club decides to send me away, I don’t know when, it’ll be because they’re not happy with my work.
"As you know very well, my contract expires in 2019. From my point of view, there is the will to stay and continue to work for this club.”
(You may also be interested in Antonio Conte Insists He Is Committed to Chelsea as Sack Rumours Continue to Circulate)
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He added: “Honestly, I don’t think talking about my future can affect the players. Otherwise, from the first game we lost against Burnley, this could have happened. My players are not used to it but they are getting used to these rumours and speculation.
“I’m very happy with the commitment of my players and the behaviour of my players. They show me every day they want to overcome this situation. But this ‘situation’ … we are talking about a team that is fourth in the league, that is preparing to face the game against Barcelona.
"We understand that, when you lose two games in a row, the situation is not simple. But, maybe, we are increasing the difficulty of this team."
