Conte: Chelsea still a team in transition
Chelsea manager Antonio Conte has said his team is going through a rebuilding phase and the best is yet to come despite reaching the FA Cup final and leading the Premier League title race in his first season at the club.
Chelsea last secured a league and FA Cup double in 2010 under Carlo Ancelotti’s first season at the club, although Conte dismissed comparisons, saying he had inherited a squad in a difficult period, having finished 10th in the league last season.
With defender Branislav Ivanovic and midfielder John Obi Mikel leaving Stamford Bridge earlier this year and captain John Terry set to leave at the end of the campaign, Conte said his side needs suitable replacements heading into the next season.
“I think that now at Chelsea we are in a period of transition,” the 47-year-old Italian boss told reporters following his side’s 4-2 win over Tottenham Hotspur in the FA Cup semifinal on Saturday.
“In this season, we have lost Ivanovic, Mikel and next season we lose John Terry. We are talking about players who wrote the history of this club,” he said. “Now we have to find the right substitutes and then work to put these players at the same level,” he said.
Conte cited the example of Mauricio Pochettino’s Tottenham Hotspur side, who are chasing the league title for the second consecutive season, trailing the league leaders by four points.
“Spurs boss Mauricio Pochettino has worked for three years. I started to work only seven or eight months ago.”
Chelsea hosts ninth-place Southampton in Tuesday’s league clash before visiting sixth-place Everton on Sunday.
The Blues will face London rival Arsenal in the FA Cup final next month.
Ibrahimovic vows to return stronger
Manchester United striker Zlatan Ibrahimovic has vowed to come back even stronger after suffering a serious knee injury against Anderlecht in Europa League last week.
Ibrahimovic and defender Marcos Rojo are likely to miss the rest of the season after scans revealed they have suffered cruciate knee ligament injuries.
“First of all, thank you for all the support and love,” Ibrahimovic, United’s top scorer this season with 28 goals, wrote on his Instagram account on Sunday.
The 35-year-old Swede, whose contract at Old Trafford expires at the end of the season, added that injuries will not decide his soccer future.
“One thing is for sure, I decide when it’s time to stop and nothing else. Giving up is not an option.”
United, which is fifth in the Premier League standings, faces a challenging schedule including visits to Manchester City, Arsenal and Tottenham Hotspur.
The Red Devils also face Spanish side Celta Vigo in a two-legged Europa League semifinal next month.
(Reuters)