Conte in the firing line over text row
ANTONIO Conte’s public fall-out with Diego Costa has put his future as Chelsea manager in serious jeopardy.
No firm decision has yet been made, but Sportsmail understands that senior figures at Stamford Bridge are so unhappy with Conte’s text message dismissal of their popular striker that they have discussed the astonishing possibility of sacking the Italian.
Even by Chelsea’s standards, it would amount to an extraordinary move. Roman Abramovich, the club owner, sacked Jose Mourinho and Carlo Ancelotti after hugely successful spells in charge, while Chelsea’s first Champions League title was not enough to keep Roberto Di Matteo in a job. But all three suffered a downturn in results prior to their respective dismissals.
Conte, however, has experienced no such decline, the Italian earning the affection of the club’s fans not only by turning a team that finished 10th in the previous Premier League campaign into champions but also with the passion he displays on the touchline.
His handling of Costa and his apparent unhappiness with the club hierarchy over transfers this summer does, however, amount to a serious error of judgment.
Abramovich has made it clear in the past, particularly in the case of Mourinho, that no manager is bigger than the club — and certainly not bigger than him — and the Russian billionaire has never appreciated having his authority publicly challenged.
The fact is that Abramovich, other senior boardroom figures and the players want Costa to stay for their return to the Champions League, as well as their bid to retain the Premier League title.
It leaves Conte isolated when he does not seem to be prepared to back down over Costa, his anger sparked by the 28-year-old’s attempt to force a big-money move to China last January.
While Conte has influence with a transfer panel at Chelsea that comprises Abramovich, Marina Granovskaia, Eugene Tenenbaum and technical director Michael Emenalo, the text message he sent to Costa was regarded as interference, never mind a hugely costly mistake.
Chelsea estimate it will wipe around £30million off Costa’s transfer fee should they now be forced to sell.
But Conte, who is currently on holiday, is understood to be antagonising his employers in others ways, not least when it comes to transfers.
While Conte is understood to be frustrated by the club’s apparent hesitancy is pursuing players like Dries Mertens, Virgil van Dijk, Alvaro Morata, Leonardo Bonucci and Andrea Belotti, the club hierarchy are suspicious that, in the background, the Italian’s unofficial agent is trying to set up deals without their knowledge.
Andrea Pastorello, the Italian middle-man who has close links to Conte, is believed to have approached clubs and players wanted to be his client in the hope that he can create enough momentum to make something happen.
Again, however, this is viewed as unwanted interference by Chelsea and it is creating a power struggle that Conte cannot possibly win. Even if, it should be recognised, Conte made a point of distancing himself from Pastorello when the agent suggested in April that his tenure at Stamford Bridge could be short-lived.
What he perhaps underestimates is how shock-tested Abramovich is when it comes to sacking managers. The club’s owner has not flinched in the past, however popular a manager might seem, and he knows from experience that success can be achieved however often he makes that change.
At the same time, Conte is not shy when it comes to confrontation with his employers. In his three years at Juventus, he clashed with his employers every summer over transfers, eventually blowing up and walking into the Italy job in 2014.
On this occasion, however, it might not be Conte’s decision to quit. Unless matters can be resolved, Abramovich could soon be looking for 13th manager — permanent and temporary — in 14 years.