Antonio Conte insisted that he remained committed to seeing out his final year at Chelsea after his FA Cup win – but appeared ready to accept his fate if he is sacked in the aftermath of his Wembley victory.
With Chelsea expected to decide on Conte’s future this week, after a season in which relations between manager and directors has been seemingly at perpetual breaking point, Conte’s victory press conference had the ambiance of an emotional farewell.
Conte declared himself a ‘serial winner’ after adding the FA Cup to last season’s Premier League title but said that he would never change his style and revealed that he had turned down numerous jobs to stay at Chelsea.
‘After these two seasons I will always love this colour, these fans, this club,’ said Conte. ‘Also if my future must be in a different way.
‘I have a contract and I’m committed to this club, despite a lot of speculation. One day I had the possibility to go to the national team, one day this team, one day another important team. In every press conference I always say I’m committed to this club, to respect my contract.
‘You can tell what you want, but I’m a serial winner. I showed this in England in a difficult moment for the club, after 10th place. I’ve showed this also today, because we found the right way to win this trophy. I’m very happy for the players, I’m very happy for our fans. At the same time I’m happy for the club. The decision to charge me, in two seasons I brought two trophies for this club.
He apologised for failing to make the Champions League but intimated that with the squad he had been given, it was the best he could do.
‘For sure to miss a place in Champions League is not good for a club like Chelsea. We must be honest to say this. Me, the players. But at the same time I think you have to know the real situation, to understand if this group of players did their best this season, if our fifth place was the position that we deserved. But to finish in this way, to win an important trophy like this it showed great commitment of my players, it showed great desire to finish the season in the right way despite the great difficulty we have had.
‘I understand that the club can make a decision, a positive decision, a negative decision. I’m the coach of a great, important club, in England and the world. It’s right that the club demands of me a lot. I think you have to understand if in this season we had the maximum or not. There is also this possibility with this group of players we did the maximum.’
Despite the constant tension this season, principally between Conte and Marina Granovskaia, Roman Abramovich’s trusted director, the manager insisted he would not change.
‘I think after two years the club knows me very well. The club knows me very well. If they want to continue to work with me, they know me. I can’t change. I can’t change. My way is always the same. Hard work and to build a strong mentality with my players. I can’t change. I can’t change. I’m this and I think my past speaks very clear as a player and as a manager.’
COMMENTS