As Chelsea FC departed for their overseas preseason exhibition tour they made a big announcement. They have re-worked the two years left on the contract of Manager Antonio Conte, rewarding him for winning a Premier League title in his very first season on the job. The new deal is not an extension; it’s the same original length, but with more incentives added.
The augmented contract should quell rumors of Conte being unsettled, and/or bickering with Stamford Bridge leadership.
The former Italy Head Coach made public comments in April about missing his native land, and we also saw reports this spring within the Italian media that fueled speculation of a potential Chelsea split.
You can certainly put that narrative to bed for now as Antonio Conte and his side head to Asia, where they’ll play Inter Milan and Bayern Munich in international friendlies.
A club statement attributed to Conte reads: ‘I am very happy to have signed a new contract with Chelsea. We worked extremely hard in our first year to achieve something amazing, which I am very proud of. Now we must work even harder to stay at the top.
‘The Chelsea fans have given me so much support since I arrived here one year ago and it is important we continue to succeed together.’
The Chelsea Football Club Director Marina Granovskaia statement says: ‘Antonio achieved incredible success last season, adapting to English football very quickly and leading us to the Premier League title.
‘This new contract reflects our belief that he can continue to deliver results both domestically and as we return to European competition in the Champions League.’
Paul M. Banks runs The Sports Bank.net and TheBank.News, partnered with FOX Sports Engage Network and News Now. Banks, a former writer for the Washington Times, NBC Chicago.com and Chicago Tribune.com, currently contributes regularly to WGN CLTV.
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