SHOCK AND AWESOME
Conte insists Chelsea are in the mood to spring a huge surprise on Europe.. like they did here when they won the Prem crown last season
ANTONIO CONTE has warned it will take another massive upset for Chelsea to win the Champions League this season. Conte won the trophy as a player with Juventus but as a coach with the same club only had two campaigns, one of which ended at the group stage while the other finished with a quarter-final defeat. It is equally depressing for English clubs as the Premier League has not seen a team reach the final since Chelsea won the Champions League in 2012. But Conte defied the odds to win the Premier League last season and has admitted it will take years for the Blues to catch up with European heavyweights such as Real Madrid and Bayern Munich. The Chelsea boss said: “I don’t know if there is a chance this season. But the chance to win the title last season was zero and we changed the opinion of the people. “You play to do your best and to try to win every game, step by step. We are building something important in the present, and also for the future, and you need time to do this. “It is very important to have experience as a player and a coach in this competition to understand the level. “You have to grow step by step and arrive like Real Madrid, Bayern Munich and Juventus are now. You don’t create a strong team easily. “I played two Champions Leagues with Juventus but it wasn’t the Juventus of today. We were at the start of our path. “I have more experience as a player. I played for a lot of years in this tournament and played in the final. I won only one. “It’s a great competition and we must be pleased to be back and proud to play in it. But, for sure, this competition is very tough.” Conte is preparing to rest and rotate against Qarabag and, having been left frustrated by not signing enough reinforcements in the transfer window, returned to a familiar theme, making it clear he doubts there is enough depth within his squad to win the trophy. He said: “The reality is that Bayern Munich are ready to fight to win the Champions League. Because every season they stay there and try to improve the team. “They have a good structure. You sign one or two players to improve your team but have 17-18 for a good basis. Then you can pay £90million for two players and your transfer market is finished. “When you rebuild, you must buy players but also create the solid foundation, and then find one or two to improve your quality in an important way.”