I’ll fight to stay
BLUES BOSS CONTE UP FOR JOB SCRAP
ANTONIO CONTE admits he is fighting for his job at Chelsea.
Starsport revealed yesterday Conte’s job is on the line after angering owner Roman Abramovich by claiming publicly that the club’s signings have nothing to do with him.
Conte yesterday refused to deny his relationship with the Chelsea owner and board is at breaking point.
But he admitted he knows how his predecessors felt at Chelsea before getting the chop.
The Italian said: “I continue to work very hard for this club, for the players, for our fans.
“But I saw a bit the history of this club in the past and it was the same also for the other coaches.
“I don’t see a difference between me and other coaches that managed this situation.
“If you look at the stats you can see that in 14 years, 10 managers were sacked in this club. The stats are this.
“But when you are sure about your work and that you are doing everything to improve this club, I am very relaxed, calm and I don’t have this type of worry.”
There have, in fact, been seven ® permanent bosses sacked since Abramovich took over in 2003.
Speaking ahead of tomorrow’s FA Cup clash with Newcastle, Conte refused to renew his public attack on the club’s lack of signings.
But with a move for Roma pair Edin Dzeko and Emerson Palmieri in the balance and Willian, Alvaro Morata and Thibaut Courtois all out injured, he is running out of options.
Conte said: “We have to face great difficulties. I try every day through hard work to overcome these difficulties. But I am a specialist in this type of situation.
“It is not simple for sure, but people who know me very well know that I live this job with great passion, with great love.
“For this reason, sometimes I don’t sleep, especially when you have to face difficult situations, and we have to try to invent something before the game or during the game.
“When I don’t sleep I continue to work with the computer because I don’t want to create problems with my wife.
“I go in another room and then sometimes I start to work, watch the game or try to find a new solution.”