I will keep on celebrating - Conte
ANTONIO CONTE’S energetic touchline celebrations have been a feature of Chelsea’s impressive season, and he won’t likely be changing his behavior anytime soon.
Chelsea, which hold a 10-point lead in the Premier League in Conte’s first season in charge, will next face Manchester United in the FA Cup quarterfinals on Monday.
“I’ve shown at Chelsea, not only Chelsea, every team that I managed, that I live the game with great passion,” Conte said yesterday. “Sometimes I want to share my enthusiasm, my passion, with my players, with my staff, also with my fans. I think it’s normal.”
Conte’s rival managers aren’t so impressed, in particular Manchester United’s Jose Mourinho.
The former Chelsea manager was riled by Conte’s antics during United’s match at Stamford Bridge in October. Chelsea routed United 4-0 and Mourinho, once adored by the home fans, took exception to Conte’s wild celebrations after his side’s fourth goal.
TOUCHLINE SPAT
It led to a touchline spat with an angry Mourinho wagging a finger at Conte and whispering words in his ear before disappearing down the tunnel.
If Chelsea score against the defending champions at Stamford Bridge on Monday, expect Conte to show little restraint.
Mourinho, on the other hand, is hoping for a low-key build up.
Hart’s future to be decided at season’s end
“Chelsea? It’s no different. Obviously before the game and after the game, I’ll meet some fans and some people I like,” Mourinho told MUTV. “The relation with the fans was always good but, for me, it’s just professional.”
United, which drew 1-1 in Russia against Rostov on Thursday in the Europa League, will be without Zlatan Ibrahimovic for the match at Chelsea. The Swede was banned for three matches for elbowing Bournemouth defender Tyrone Mings last week.
“We have three days and we have to travel,” Mourinho told MUTV. “We have to go to London. It’s really hard. We don’t have Zlatan, of course not, but we go with everything we have. We don’t put a (weakened) team out like some clubs sometimes Manchester United cannot do that.
“We know this Europa League is very important for us, and the FA Cup is beautiful. We cannot go there with a (reserve) team. We’ll try to manage it within our squad and get a good team to compete with them.” MANCHESTER CITY coach Pep Guardiola says that a decision on the future of on-loan goalkeeper Joe Hart will be made in the summer.
This follows the England goalkeeper’s statement that he is pretty much surplus to requirements at the club and does not expect to be back at the Etihad Stadium next season.
The 29-year-old is currently on loan at Serie A club Torino having lost his place at City following the signing of Claudio Bravo earlier in the campaign.
Bravo’s subsequent struggles - Willy Caballero has been preferred to the Chilean for seven of City’s last nine games - have raised questions about the wisdom of this arrangement.
Guardiola recently appeared to close the door on the possibility of a Hart return, maybe prompting the keeper’s latest remarks, but the City manager claims nothing has yet been decided.
“I have said many times we will explain about all the cases at the end of the season the cases of the players that are here, the players who are happy or unhappy and the players who are on loan, Guardiola said.
“Joe is a player for Manchester City and we are going to decide at the end of the season.” Hart, who has 68 England caps, appears to think his future lies away from City.
SURPLUS TO REQUIREMENTS
“I’d say I’m pretty much surplus to requirements at my parent club at the moment.
“I want to play football, I love to play football. If that opportunity’s not going to be given there then I’m going to have to look elsewhere and I may have to make somewhere else my home.
“I don’t know where my future lies, in terms of time-wise, because I’ve certainly had no communication with anyone.”