Coach eyes Champions League success

ITALIAN ANTONIO Conte has warned that lifting the Champions League trophy with Chelsea but warned that it will not be easy for the London club.

Conte took Juventus to the quarter-finals in 2013, when they were eliminated by eventual winners Bayern Munich, and the Europa League last four a year later, although the Bianconeri infamously went out at the group stage of Europe’s elite club competition.

“Champions League? In football, you can’t just get up one day and win it,” said Conte. “I did it for the first time with Juventus after winning my first Scudetto and we were eliminated by Bayern, who then won the competition.”

“In the following year, we went out to Galatasaray in the group stage and got to the semi-finals of the Europa League.

“I had the pleasure of coaching in the Champions League for two years, but these are competitions in which you have to have an important foundation,” Conte added. “Winning isn’t easy, in order to win [the Champions League], you must follow a path that only a few know about.”

Conte, whose Chelsea will face Arsenal for the FA Cup trophy today, added that his team is focused on the next target.

ENJOYING VICTORY

“The days immediately following our Premier League victory were beautiful because it’s only fair to enjoy such the victory after a year,” Conte said. “But at the same time, we wanted to keep the tension high because the season isn’t over yet and we want to finish it in the best way.”

“When you’re at a big team, you must breathe the right air, have a winning mentality and always play to win.”

“I just want to do the best I can with my team. I always thought about the club and not myself,” he said. “The important thing is to work well and improve the club you work for. After that, if you win, better still.”