Conte to be sacked and replaced by Sarri
Lampard-Bielsa set for early showdown
LONDON, June 21, (Agencies): Antonio Conte is to be sacked as Chelsea manager within days and former Napoli boss Maurizio Sarri installed as his replacement according to British media reports on Thursday.
Conte is presently on holiday but is to be told he is no longer needed despite winning the FA Cup last season – to add to the league title he won in his first season in charge – and issuing a defiant message afterwards of how he wouldn’t change his style of management.
Sarri, a former banker, has been linked with the post even before the 59-year-old stepped down from the Napoli hotseat after guiding them to runners-up spot behind Juventus for the second time in three campaigns. Both men will cost Chelsea owner Roman Abramovich.
Conte will be due £9million ($11.8million) if he doesn’t take another job in the next year and Napoli will be due a payment for Sarri as he is still under con- tract with them, even though Carlo Ancelotti – who knows how swiftly Abramovich forgets past glories as he was sacked a season after guiding them to the domestic double – has replaced him.
Derby County’s rookie manager Frank Lampard will pit his wits against Leeds United’s experienced former Argentina boss Marcelo Bielsa in his second league game after the Championship fixtures were unveiled on Thursday.
The duo will clash on August 11 with both Derby and Leeds – former champions fallen on fallow times – having taken risks in appointing them.
Former Chelsea and England midfielder Lampard is untested at managerial level and the mercurial Bielsa has become increasingly unpredictable.
Ernie Hunt whose “donkey kick” volleyed freekick in 1970 led to a change in English football’s rules, has died aged 75 one of his former clubs Coventry announced.
Hunt’s volleyed his goal – against one of his former clubs Everton – after Coventry team-mate Willie Carr gripped the ball between his heels and flicked it up behind his back.
It is also famous for being the first goal to be shown in colour on the BBC’s famous highlights programme “Match of The Day”.
“Coventry City Football Club is deeply saddened to learn of the death of the former striker Ernie Hunt,” said the club in a statement.
German midfielder Emre Can has arrived at Juventus to undergo medical tests ahead of an expected move to the Serie A champions.
The 24-year-old joined Liverpool in 2014 and made his 167th and final appearance for the Merseyside outfit when he came on as a substitute in their Champions League final defeat by Real Madrid last month.