Antonio Conte can do no wrong right now. He’s masterminded a 13-game win streak for the Blues, they’re top of the table, and he’s done it all after the disaster that was Jose Mourinho’s final year at the club. He’s not just getting results on the pitch, he’s endeared himself to those around the club with small gestures, and the Chelsea fans and hierarchy have fallen in love with him.
Chelsea sporting director Michael Emenalo raved about Conte’s impact to Sky Italia, praising his new manager’s ability and demeanor: “He has brought with him not only great tactical preparation, but also his approach to games. The players love him and we love him too. There is a possibility of him staying here forever, he’s really great.”
As quickly as the modern game changes, it’s hard to imagine Conte staying at Chelsea for the rest of his career. It’s all gravy right now, sure. But things can change in soccer, and quickly. With Chelsea coming off a 10th-place finish last year, expectations were relatively low on Conte, and he’s clearly exceeded them already. Those expectations will ramp up quickly after his honeymoon period ends, especially with the wonders he’s worked already.
In just the space of a few months, Conte’s built Chelsea into a table-topping monster, and they’re clearly the class of the Premier League already. But he’s had advantages. Chelsea’s poor finish last year meant this year he doesn’t have to deal with midweek European games. As Leicester City showed us last year, missing out on midweek games and having a well-rested team every weekend can be a huge advantage for club.
Next year however, Chelsea will likely have the expectation to challenge for (and win) the Premier League title, to go deep into Champions League, and at least make a brave showing in the FA Cup. Conte’s only really expected to do well in one competition this year, but his second season is where the true pressure will set in.
Look back at his last club. Conte’s first year at Juventus was a fairytale, and he lead the Old Lady to an undefeated season after coming off consecutive seventh-placed finishes in Serie A. He won Serie A every single year he was Juve’s coach, but the Bianconeri’s continued under-achievement in Europe became an issue, and he eventually left after a perceived lack of financial support from management.
After his successful first year at Juventus, Conte was criticized for his refusal to rotate or adjust tactics for the very different rigors of Champions League. Using his best players day in and day out, and shifting to his quasi-revolutionary 3-5-2 had gotten him an unbeaten season in Serie A with no European competition to worry about. But without more time to prepare tactically and physically in between matches, his first choice players tired and underperformed as he resolutely started them day in and day out, often refusing even to sub until after the 80-minute mark.
Although grateful for the success he’d brought already, supporters were still upset about the failures in Champions League … and they made their feelings known. In response, Conte loudly complained about Juventus’ spending power compared to the rest of Europe’s elite clubs, saying “When you have €10 in your pocket you can’t eat in a restaurant where the meal will cost you €100.” He was clearly frustrated after his Juventus crashed out of the Champions League group stage, then lost to Benfica in the semifinals of the Europa League.
After the club’s inability to land Alexis Sanchez reportedly caused Conte to storm out of Juve’s preseason preparations, Massimiliano Allegri was drafted in as his replacement, and he promptly steered Juventus to another Serie A title, but then got them all the way to the Champions League final where they narrowly lost to Barcelona.
At Chelsea, Conte’s replicated his Juventus situation, with more financial power behind him. He’s got the benefit of no European competition, and, similarly, his tactical shift to a 3-4-3 has revolutionized the Premier League, and his team is running through the opposition just as the Bianconeri did his first year. His accomplishments on the Chelsea bench are already incredible, but there’s no telling how he’ll deal with the addition of Champions League on top of the pressure cooker that is the Premier League.
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