I’M STAYING AT CHELSEA SO I CAN HAVE ANOTHER POP AT PEP
Conte pleads with club’s board to stick with him next season
ANTONIO CONTE has insisted he wants to stay at Chelsea beyond this season.
The Italian has also pleaded with the Blues’ board to stick with him as he bids to lay the groundwork to challenge Manchester City.
Conte will have just one season remaining on his Stamford Bridge contract at the end of the campaign. His bosses are unimpressed that the club trail Manchester City by 14 points.
They are unlikely to stand in his way if Conte wants to quit next summer. But the former Juventus boss wants to stay to prove Guardiola’s City can be beaten.
He said: “I have another year on my contract. So in this moment my focus is total. It is total for Chelsea, for my players, to improve my players, to try to improve the team. To try to improve the club. To see if I can do this.”
Chelsea’s victory over Southampton on Saturday means they have now won eight of their last 10 Premier League games. At the start of the season, however, confidence was high at the club that Conte could add a third title in the last four seasons.
The 48-year-old, also into the Champion League knockout stages, wants the Chelsea hierarchy to look at the bigger picture as they judge his work.
He added: “If you understand football there is a moment you must have great patience, to know that someone is working very well.
“That they are doing a good job. A great job. Then you have to continue in this way.
“Everyone wants to win. But it