Antonio Conte joins Chelsea: Statement in full as Italy coach signs three-year contract at Stamford Bridge

The Italy coach spoke of his admiration for the Premier League and excitement before taking over at Stamford Bridge

Mark Critchley @mjcritchley

Monday 04 April 2016 13:09

Incoming Chelsea head coach Antonio Conte

(Getty)

Chelsea have confirmed that Antonio Conte will take over as head coach from the start of the 2016/17 season.

The Italy coach joins the Stamford Bridge club on a three-year contract and will take over following this summer’s European Championship in France.

Conte, who previously won three Serie A titles during a three-year spell at Juventus, used his first statement as Chelsea head coach to show his admiration for the Premier League and reveal his excitement ahead of taking over at the west London club.

“I am very excited about the prospect of working at Chelsea Football Club,” he said. “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.

“I am looking forward to meeting everyone at the club and the day-to-day challenge of competing in the Premier League.

“Chelsea and English football are watched wherever you go, the fans are passionate and my ambition is to have more success to follow the victories I enjoyed in Italy.

“I am happy we have made the announcement now so everything is clear and we can end the speculation. I will continue to focus on my job with the Italian national team and will reserve speaking about Chelsea again until after the Euros.”

8 players playing for their future at Chelsea

Show all 8

1/88 players playing for their future at Chelsea

8 players playing for their future at Chelsea

Eden Hazard

age: 25

position: winger

An injury didn't help but the reality is that the Belgian, last season's Premier League player of the year, has coasted his way through a miserable campaign. His confidence his shot, he barely even tries and he is still yet to score in the Premier League this season. Has been eyeing a move to Real Madrid or PSG for a long time and it might be time for the Blues to part ways.

2016 Getty Images

8 players playing for their future at Chelsea

Diego Costa

age: 27

position: striker

Is the striker worth all the drama? When he's at his rampant best then definitely, but in the two years he's been at Stamford Bridge that has been for just the first three months of the first season and the past couple of months of this. In between there have been stamps, elbows, biting and posturing. Doesn't seem to want to be at the club, with a return to Atletico Madrid perhaps on the horizon, although it'd be hard to find a replacement of similar quality.

8 players playing for their future at Chelsea

Thibaut Courtois

age: 23

position: goalkeeper

The goalkeeper's only advantage over Petr Cech is youth, he's not as good as Chelsea's No 1 was in the past or even how good he is now. He's made a number of high profile errors and, like Hazard, has had his head turned by more glamorous clubs in Europe. Asmir Begovic proved at the start of the season that he is more than capable of performing at the top level. He would fetch a massive fee - it's definitely a risk but Chelsea could cash in now for a player who is not fully focused.

2016 Getty Images

8 players playing for their future at Chelsea

Oscar

age: 24

position: attacking midfielder

The Braziian is fast approaching 200 appearances for the Blues but he's never managed to consistently become the kind of Frank Lampard replacement he was supposed to. Has only three goals in the Premier League so far this season - his lowest total in four years since joining the club - and a further two assists. Wildly inconsistent, Oscar is not usually a first-choice when the rest of the squad is fully fit. He works reasonably hard, the major reason Jose Mourinho picked him over Juan Mata, but doesn't have the attacking instincts to become a truly top player.

2016 Getty Images

8 players playing for their future at Chelsea

Nemanja Matic

age: 27

position: holding midfielder

Where has it all gone wrong for Matic? It appears to be a complete mystery from the outside looking in. When he joined Chelsea in January 2014, he set the tone for a late season surge and then formed a dominant partnership alongside Cesc Fabgregas last season on the way to the title. This term he can't even beat John Obi Mikel to a place in the starting line-up, and when he does play he looks lost, off the pace and not interested. Does he want to leave or is his loss of form terminal?

2016 Getty Images

8 players playing for their future at Chelsea

Gary Cahill

age: 30

position: centre-back

Cahill, and Roy Hodgson, are extremely fortunate that both John Terry and Kurt Zouma went down with serious injuries in recent weeks. Before that, Cahill was not anywhere close to breaking into Chelsea's team. The sad reality is that a man who captained England last week is the fourth best in his position at a club currently 10th in the Premier League. Cahill is always pleasing on the eye but often over-plays and has been found out continually against the best opposition.

8 players playing for their future at Chelsea

John Obi Mikel

age: 28

position: holding midfield

Has proved himself to be a very useful player for Guus Hiddink in two spells, but the sad reality is that the Nigerian is not good enough to start for a team that has title aspirations. A very useful member of the squad to keep around but Mikel himself has already said he wants to play more next season. If Chelsea want to get back to the top, Mikel can't be a regular feature.

2016 Getty Images

8 players playing for their future at Chelsea

Loic Remy

age: 29

position: striker

A mystery that the Frenchman remained at Chelsea beyond the January deadline. He clearly doesn't have a future at Stamford Bridge, with Guus Hiddink preferring to play 20-year-old winger Bertrand Traore as a striker when Diego Costa was unavailable.

2016 Getty Images

Chelsea director Marina Granovskaia reveals that the club’s hierarchy are delighted to welcome Conte to the club, but also thanked interim manager Guus Hiddink for his work in the second half of the season.

“We are very pleased to have recruited one of the most highly regarded managers in world football and we are equally pleased to do so before the end of the current season. This aids our future planning.

“I would also like to take this opportunity to thank Guus Hiddink, who has done a great job since he joined us in December.”

Chelsea chairman Bruce Buck also praised Conte’s record and welcomed him to the club.

“Antonio Conte has a record of consistent success in his career as a manager and as a player,” he said.

“We look forward to welcoming him to Stamford Bridge and are confident he will find all he needs to maintain that high standard of achievement.’”

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