Guss Hiddik has not lost any game since he took over Chelsea from the relegation battle in English Premier League under the leadership of one of the world’s iconic coaches, Jose Mourinho.
He has only failed to impress in UEFA Champions league which Mourinho was better loved.
It is undeniable that Hiddik won the hearts of many Blues as compared to his predecessor in 2016/2017 campaign but seems the Abramovich the Russian Chelsea owner is not contended.
“I am proud to be the coach of the national team of my country and only a role as attractive as manager of Chelsea could follow that,” Antonio Conte said.
The 46-year-old ex-Juventus boss will begin a three-year contract after his country takes part in Euro 2016.
Conte’s Career in numbers
- Conte is a former Italy midfielder who made more than 400 appearances for Juventus, winning five league titles and a Champions League.
- He won 20 caps for his country and was part of the squad beaten by France in the final of Euro 2000.
- After spells coaching Arezzo, Bari, Atalanta and Siena, Conte returned to Juve in 2011, guiding them to the Serie A title at the first attempt.
- However, he was then charged with failing to report attempted match-fixing during his time as coach of Siena.
- Conte pleaded his innocence but was banned for 10 months – a sentence that was reduced to a four-month touchline suspension.
- Juventus retained their Serie A title despite Conte’s absence and won their third in succession the following season before his exit in 2014 to take over as Italy boss.
- Since 1971-72, Conte is the Juventus manager with the highest win ratio in Serie A (72.8%).
- He won 83 out 114 league games as Juventus manager, losing only seven.
- Conte’s Juventus scored in 43 consecutive games (February 2013-March 2014) – a Serie A all-time record.
- Juventus also recorded an unbeaten run of 49 games from May 2011 to October 2012 (with Conte involved in 48 of them) – only AC Milan can boast a longer streak (58 games) in Serie A history.
- Conte won the Scudetto with Juventus in 2013-14, picking up 102 points and winning 33 games: both all-time records in a Serie A campaign.
Pirlo on Conte
Italy and Juventus star Andrea Pirlo wrote this in his autobiography:
“Even when we’re winning, Conte comes in and hurls against the wall (and thus my little corner) anything he can lay his hands on… almost always full bottles of water. Fizzy water. Very fizzy water.”
And when Conte speaks “his words assault you”, says Pirlo, adding: “They crash through the doors of your mind, often quite violently, and settle deep within you.”
By Simon Ingari
Courtesy BBC Sport Premier League
