Antonio Conte has managed to bring about a revolution in English football. And surprisingly he has managed to do that in just one season. Yes, one season. Not a decade.
Before Conte came to England, Chelsea were in trouble. They probably had their worst season in a long time. Their charismatic manager Jose Mourinho had left them in the middle of the season, they were performing badly, and they did not even have European football to look forward to next season.
That is when Chelsea boss Roman Abramovich decided to bring in the Italian to become the manager of the Blues. At first, there were many raised eyebrows. Not because anyone doubted Conte’s abilities, but most of us knew that the Premier League is not everyone’s cup of tea. Many a great have fallen prey to the Premier League trap. And the pundits felt that Conte’s name might just be added to that long list.
But my god were they wrong. One year down the line and Conte has managed to make Chelsea invincibles again. The Blues are not just playing good football, but they are pleasing everyone on their way. And pitchside Conte has built himself a unique reputation, he is that vocal, energetic manager that Mourinho used to be a few years back. Conte is box office. Just look at his emotions on the sideline and you can easily tell how Chelsea are playing on the pitch.
"Only in England you can see this support. I've not seen it before"
Conte is full of praise for the Boro fanshttps://t.co/laXDhOPMQt pic.twitter.com/LcabfYqNYC
— BBC Sport (@BBCSport) May 8, 2017
It’s hard to believe that a man who did not even know the language one year ago can achieve this much in such a short span of time. But it’s not just the energy and passion that makes him the centre of debate. It’s also his humble attitude and respect towards his opponents that make him so loveable.
After the win against Middlesbrough, he actually went towards the Boro fans and applauded them after the match. He also congratulated each and every Boro player and wished them best of luck. Not many managers actually do that you know.
Antonio Conte: 'I felt in my heart to go and clap the fans and also wish every single Middlesbrough player good luck for next season.’ pic.twitter.com/0WToUqB1tv
— Chelsea FC (@ChelseaFC) May 9, 2017
But having said all this, no one knows how long Conte might be at Stamford Bridge. Cause for all we know, Chelsea managers do not have a very long-term relationship with the club. But till the time he is there, let’s just sit back and enjoy.
