Conte No.1 for Napoli
GONG HAS SALAH UP IN THE AIR
CHELSEA manager Antonio Conte and Napoli’s Maurizio Sarri could swap jobs in an extraordinary summer switch.
Conte is expected to leave at the end of the season after clashing with Chelsea over transfer policy.
Sarri, 59, is on their
ANTONIO CONTE insists his brand of football is still very much in vogue despite the blood-and-thunder styles of Jurgen Klopp and Pep Guardiola taking all the plaudits this season.
Klopp’s Liverpool were at their rock ‘n’ roll best as they beat Roma 7-6 on aggregate to book their place in the Champions League Final.
And Guardiola’s City have won admirers this season for the way they have poured forward and their attacking approach to the game.
But Conte said: “There are many styles of football and not one style makes you a winner.
“Last season, Manchester City and Liverpool didn’t win. In my experience as a player and a manager, it’s important to have the right balance, offensively and defensively.
“That’s the best way to win something. Then every coach is right to have his own best idea of football.
“I have great respect for all coaches, but it’s important to have the right balance, offensively and defensively. Not too much of one or the other.” Many observers pointed to Liverpool’s Champions League semi-final result as further evidence that the art of defending is dead.
And it was put to Italian Conte – whose compatriots are famed for their play at the back – that the game was in complete contrast to the 2003 final between AC Milan and Juventus, which ended 0-0 before Milan won on penalties.
Paolo Maldini, Alessandro Nesta and Lillian Thuram – world-renowned defenders – all played that night.
But Conte added: “It’s not true. If you remember in that era, we [Juventus] played three finals in a row.
“Not with a defensive and tactical approach. That’s impossible with Zinedine Zidane, Alessandro Del Piero and Filippo Inzaghi.
“For sure, everyone wants to put on the pitch the best technical players.
“But then you must have players who are good at running, at winning the ball, at fighting to claim the ball, good at tackling, good at defending.
“This is the right way to have a good balance.” MO SALAH has decided Liverpool’s fans will come first when he is crowned the Football Writers’ Association Footballer of the Year this week. The 43-goal Egyptian forward has opted to attend his club’s annual awards ceremony at Anfield on Thursday evening before flying to London to be honoured at the FWA’S gala dinner.
Sunday Mirror Sport understands that arrangements are being made for either a private jet or helicopter to fly Salah (left) 200 miles south once he has thanked Liverpool fans in person for their outstanding support this season.
He is expected to be named the club’s player of the season after a sensational debut year, which will end with the Reds facing Real Madrid in this month’s Champions League Final in Kiev.
But the 25-year-old also recognises the prestige that comes with being the first African player to win the FWA award in its 70-year history.
Salah will follow in the footsteps of 12 previous Liverpool winners, including Kenny Dalglish, Ian Rush, Steven Gerrard and Luis Suarez.
Suarez was unable to collect his prize in 2014 because he was preparing for the World Cup with Uruguay. So, when Salah told the club he wanted to be in Liverpool and London on the same night, they agreed to pick up the tab to fly him to the capital.