Chelsea FC have confirmed Antonio Conte as their manager for next season, with the current Italy boss set to leave the national team after Euro 2016.
Conte was officially declared as Chelsea’s manager on Monday. A BBC report claims that he has signed a three year deal with the club, after having agreed on a backroom staff. The club also confirmed the news on their official Twitter handle.
Th ex-Juventus manager has been one of the best coaches in Italy, winning the Serie A with the Old Lady in three consecutive seasons, after the club suffered due to the Calciopoli scandal.
The 46-year-old is currently managing the Italian national side that he is contracted to, till the end of Euro 2016. However, Conte has reportedly been missing the day-to-day interactions with the players and staff that the management of a club entails, and wants to get back to that.
.@ChelseaFC is delighted to announce the appointment of Antonio Conte… https://t.co/prZqPkLaNE pic.twitter.com/hUu7iHVVRm
— Chelsea FC (@ChelseaFC) April 4, 2016
He had already announced that he will not be extending his deal with Italy presumably for this reason.
The Italian, who was largely expected to take over at Chelsea, reportedly had some differences with the authorities over the backroom staff that he would get. However, this issue seems to have been resolved, as the Daily Express reports that his brother Gianluca is set to be set to become his assistant at the Stamford Bridge.
Chelsea, who have struggled for form this season, had appointed Dutchman Guus Hiddink as their interim manager for the rest of the season, after sacking fan favourite Jose Mourinho last year.
Premier League: An amalgamation of top European managers?
With Conte’s move to Chelsea now oficial, the Premier League will see a mixture of top managers from all over Europe, fighting it out for the silverware. Pep Guardiola has already been confirmed as the Manchester City coach for next season. The Spaniard has won almost everything there is to win in Spain and Germany with Barcelona and Bayern Munich respectively.
Current Manchester United manager Louis van Gaal has won titles in the Netherlands (with Ajax and AZ Alkmaar), Spain (with Barcelona), and in Germany (with Bayern Munich). While there are rumours about Jose Mourinho replacing the Dutchman at Old Trafford, the Portuguese’s inclusion will only serve to add to the list of illustrious names.
To add to that, there is also Arsene Wenger of Arsenal, who is arguably one of the greatest managers the Premier League has seen. Jurgen Klopp will also be trying to carry on the same good work that he was known for when with Borussia Dortmund at his current club Liverpool.
It will be an interesting battle of wits between these top managers next season, with the quiet but skillful Leicester City manager Claudio Ranieri also trying to fox his way into Premier League for the second consecutive season.
