Blues boss knows fans’ pain
CHELSEA boss Antonio Conte wants to leave the FA Cup as his farewell gift.
He is angry at letting fans down in last season’s final and wants to right a wrong before his expected departure this summer.
Conte and the club have yet to conform or deny he will go but there has been too much smoke from both sides to ignore.
The Italian took a side that languished 10th in the Premier League the previous season and won the title.
Chelsea were rampant going into last May’s FA Cup Final against an Arsenal side that was already showing fatigue.
Yet Arsene Wenger pulled a sensational Gunners performance out of the fire, leaving Conte baffled and bewildered.
He admits it was one of the most frustrating days of his glorious career, both here and in his native Italy.
On the eve of their semi-final against Southampton he said: “I must be honest. I think we missed a great chance to win the FA Cup last season.
“Also in the Community Shield, we missed a great chance. I don’t know but, maybe, last season for sure we could do better because we had a great opportunity to win the FA Cup.
“This season, I think if you can win against Southampton and reach the final, it would be more difficult against Tottenham or Manchester United.
“Last season, we were in the best condition to try to go and win the FA Cup and we missed that chance. It was our fault. I remember that some refereeing decisions were not good. The first goal scored by Alexis Sanchez was handball and we finished the game with 10 men.
“But, despite this, we were able to equalise, only to concede a goal at the last with our mistake. But last season Arsenal did a great job to win the FA Cup.”
Arsenal were wretched going into the final yet Wenger set a record for winning the famous old trophy and Conte added: “Is that ability the key to his greatness? For sure, he has a great capacity to prepare a team.
“His career speaks very clearly of this. You can win only once if you are lucky. But if you win many times, it means you are a winning man.”
Asked how winning this competition would rank with his other achievements, Conte replied: “You have to know that I play only to win. I don’t play to enjoy. I play only to win.
“I try to transfer this mentality to my players. Every season I start with only one idea in my mind.
“I have to transfer that to my players. If I win something, I did my job. Not something special. If we don’t win, I’m very angry, above all with myself. But I’m ready to work harder to try and win something the next chance I have.
“In this difficult season, it’s important to try and finish in the best possible way. When I speak about finishing the season in the best possible way, I tell that we have to play every game with the fire in our eyes.
“Then you can lose, win or draw. This is not important. You have to show in every game that you have the right spirit. Our fans deserve this. If we can do this, it will be a successful season.
“Should the semi-finals be played at Wembley? I think to reach the semi-finals for the second time in a row and to play at Wembley, it’s a good achievement.
“To play this competition, you play the best teams in England. It’s not simple to reach Wembley. I’m pleased for our fans.
“I think that it’s right to enjoy this achievement especially at this moment. In the present, it’s important to enjoy every good achievement. Then you have to try to win. But everyone wants to win and only one team does win.”