V THE CROWD
CHELSEA MIDDLESBRO Conte can’t wait to join Prem’s Italian Renaissance movement
ANTONIO CONTE’S national pride is spurring him on to complete another Italian job in the Premier League. Chelsea are within touching distance of the title as they welcome Middlesbrough to S t a mford Bridge tonight. If they get over the line, Conte would become the fourth Italian boss to win the Premier League title in eight years. Carlo Ancelotti (right) began the trend at the Bridge in 2012, followed by Roberto Mancini (right) at Manchester City in 2013. Claudio Ranieri then made it No.3 in memorable fashion with dark horses Leicester last term. Conte took great pleasure in seeing Ranieri (right) achieve his feat and, says his homeland is right to feel pride in Italian managers around Europe. The 47- year- old Conte said: “In England, I saw how many Italian managers won the title. Last season, I was supporting Claudio a lot to win the title. In Italy we celebrated this win in a great way. Claudio deserved this for his career. “It’s right to have joy if an Italian manager wins the title in England. “But we are also proud of Ancelotti in Germany with Bayern Munich and Massimo Carrera in Russia with Spartak Moscow. Last season he worked with me as assistant coach and now he’s winning the title in Russia.
“I think it’s great. Everyone must find joy in this kind of result.”
Conte has taken to English football like a duck to water. While his CV is peppered with success, he says nothing prepared him for the intensity of life in the Premier League. “In Italy there is a good school,” he added. “But honestly, when you arrive and face this league, you must change your mind and adapt very quickly.
“This league is very difficult. It’s a strong league, totally different to the Italian league, the Spanish l eague and others.
Fight
“In England there are top managers from different countries and also really good English managers. Every single game is tough and you must fight a lot. You must put all of yourself into every game.”
Conte certainly does that and even at this stage in the campaign he is looking to squeeze more from his charges, calling on them to build on their overdue clean sheet against Everton last Sunday.
“It was very important to keep a clean sheet after 11 games without one,” he added. “I hope it gives us more confidence to continue in this way against Middlesbrough.
“For the goals, I must be pleased, we are the team who has scored most in this league. It’s great.”