Conte fired by Chelsea in messy divorce

ANTONIO Conte’s protracted divorce from Chelsea was finalised on Friday when he was fired after a two-year tenure in which he won the English Premier League and FA Cup but failed to gain the power he craved at the London club.

Chelsea began a terse, foursentence statement on its website: “Chelsea Football Club and Antonio Conte have parted company.”

Leaving Stamford Bridge was always the likely outcome for Conte following a season in which Chelsea missed out on Champions League qualification after a fifth-place league finish, 30 points behind champion Manchester City.

The Italian coach regularly grumbled about his failure to exert control, particularly over transfers.

Contrast that to the end of his first season at the club, where Conte was feted for leading Chelsea to the league title by seven points after a record-breaking run of 13 straight wins in the middle of the season, sparked by an inspired and bold change of formation.

Conte took control of preseason training this week at Chelsea’s practice base in Cobham with players who hadn’t featured at the World Cup, but reports emerged in the Italian media on Thursday saying Conte had been fired.

That speculation only intensified when Chelsea midfielder Cesc Fabregas and former Chelsea captain John Terry paid tribute to Conte on social media.

The Italian’s main gripe for the past year was Chelsea’s failure to land the signings he really wanted for its Premier League title defence.

Chelsea was beaten to the signing of Romelu Lukaku by Manchester United and then Fernando Llorente by Tottenham.

Winning the FA Cup by beating Manchester United at Wembley Stadium in May proved to be Conte’s last hurrah and maintained his record of winning a trophy every season he has been in charge of Juventus — where he won the Serie A for four straight years — and Chelsea.