Chelsea hiring a manager in the peak of his powers in Antonio Conte

Antonio Conte won three league titles with Juventus between 2011 and 2014

Chelsea supporters may be somewhat surprised to hear Italy manager Antonio Conte looks set to become their manager from 2016/17 given the rumours that have surrounded Atletico Madrid‘s Diego Simeone for the last 18 months, as well as the fine job Guus Hiddink is doing as interim boss, but Conte has proven himself an outstanding young coach with an enviable track record most could dream of. What remains to be seen is if he can translate that into Premier League success.

What can Chelsea supporters expect from Conte?

The former Juventus boss is unorthodox compared to the majority of modern-day coaches. He’s not one for conventional tactics, but instead likes two striking options in attack and have found success with a three-man defence. While such a style has been tried and failed over the long-term in the Premier League, Conte might be forced to make a change as the English top-flight is much more physically demanding than the slower-paced Italian Serie A.
However, that doesn’t mean he won’t initially try to put his stamp on the club with his patented strike-partnerships. Conte may be forced to spend in the transfer market as the Blues aren’t blessed with many viable attacking options, but it’s hard to see if he’ll enjoy long-term success or be forced to go more conventional like Manchester United manager Louis van Gaal was forced to.

Why Conte over the others?

Antonio Conte is rightly one of the most coveted managers in Europe, and from Chelsea’s point of the view the best man available to take charge. He leaves his post with Italy after this summer’s European Championships, and boasts a trophy-laded career in management despite being only 46. While best-known for winning three consecutive league titles with Juventus, the Italian coach has enjoyed success with lesser outfits.

He won the Serie B title with Bari in 2008/09 and took Siena up from the same division in 2010/11. A three-time Serie A Coach of the Year winner, while boasting a lifetime win ratio of 55%, the vastly experienced Conte certainly deserves his due. During his time with Italy, he’s yet to lose a competitive game, and will be hoping he can sign off with a deep run in Euro 2016.

Antonio Conte is 1/8 to be Chelsea’s next permanent manager. His success has been exclusive to Italy, but such a fantastic CV means Chelsea supporters should be excited not fearful about the future if they make the Italian theirs this summer.