Antonio Conte took over the charge of Chelsea in the summer of 2016 and won the Premier League title on his debut season. But their title defense haven’t gone according to their plan as they have finished fifth and will miss the Champions League next season.
However the Premier League giants ended the season on a positive note by winning the FA Cup against Manchester United. Despite that Conte is still heavily linked with a move away from the club.
The Italian has been linked with a summer exit for quite some now after a decline in club’s performances this season. The coach’s future has been under scrutiny since before the season began, as he negotiated a pay-rise without extending his contract and complaints over the club’s transfer policy.
Former Napoli manager Maurizio Sarri has been linked to replace Conte in the upcoming season, who has done an excellent job since he took over the charge of the Italian side and helped them to finish 2nd in the league last season.
They see the Italian as their ideal candidate to replace the former Juventus manager and the deal seemed inevitable when Carlo Ancelotti was appointed the new Partenopei coach.
The 59 year old, however, has not been released from his contract as the Blues were unwilling to pay the €8 million the Serie A giants demanded in compensation. His release clause expired on 31st May without being activated.
Sarri is set to be appointed Chelsea’s new manager on a three-year contract, according to La Gazzetta dello Sport. He is ready to take charge on a two-year contract with an option for a third.
It is also believed that former Empoli coach is set to bring Club’s legend Gianfranco Zola to the club as his assistant. The return of Zola, who remains a hugely popular figure at the club, will surely delight the supporters.
The former Italian footballer scored 69 goals for the English side and made more than 300 appearances between 1996 and 2003. His last coaching position was also in English football as he had a spell in charge of Birmingham during the 2016-17 season.