Chelsea Manager Antonio Conte continues to make public remarks that could potentially further the divide between himself and upper management. It’s been widely reported that Conte and the club leadership have had some friction, and that disagreements over how to handle transfer business has had a lot to do with that.
The Italian said last week that he’ll keep speaking his mind in public, even if that that candid commentary costs him his job. A couple weeks ago, he said that Chelsea just doesn’t have the financial firepower of the two Manchester clubs.
One naturally wonders how the notoriously publicity averse Chelsea owner, Roman Abramovich, feels about the Conte commentary.
Now Conte has said that his club must sign better players in order to compete with the top of the league. He stressed quality over quantity, inferring that his team is not getting the level of players that come with the heftier price tag. He also maintained that the defending champions are currently resigned to a level that’s distinctly below where they recently used to be.
“I think now we must be realistic and understand what our level is. Now we have to struggle to fight for a Champions League place. That is the top (priority for the rest of the season). We must be strong to accept this type of situation,” Antonio Conte said.
“Then, in the future, if there is the possibility (to make the team significantly better), you have to try to buy only two or three players, not eight players.”
“Don’t forget, this summer we brought in eight players and spent a lot less than other teams who bought only two or three.”
Chelsea currently have a game in hand on table toppers Manchester City, but still reside 19 points off the pace. Holding on to the last place in the top four, the Blues are currently just two points ahead of fifth place Tottenham Hotspur.
Paul M. Banks runs The Sports Bank.net and TheBank.News, which is partnered with News Now. Banks, a former writer for the Washington Times, NBC Chicago.com and Chicago Tribune.com, currently contributes regularly to WGN CLTV and the Tribune company’s blogging community Chicago Now.
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