Chelsea legend Gianfranco Zola has named Antonio Conte as one of Europe’s elite coaches and has backed his fellow countryman to lead Chelsea to success next season, according to the Daily Mirror.
Conte will take charge of the Blues following the conclusion of Euro 2016, and Zola has suggested that the Italian’s “strong ideas” will help him adapt to the English game, after spending his entire coaching career in Italy.
Zola, who now coaches Al Arabi in the Middle East, told beIN sports in a recent interview:
He is a great coach, has done so well in Italy, he has some very good qualities, strong character and is the man who can start a new cycle (of success) for Chelsea so I hope things go well for him.
Zola himself had to adapt to life in England after moving from Parma to Chelsea in 1996 and has backed Conte to do the same:
He has very strong ideas, very determined and is very disciplined. He will bring all these qualities to Chelsea and hopefully he will be able to integrate into the culture. He has already coached in Italy, all these things, the language, they can influence the results, but he will bring self-discipline and determination, as well as tactical awareness and all these things can be good for Chelsea.
The former Blues striker, who scored 80 goals in 312 games for the club, then went on to liken Conte to some of the very best bosses in the world.
Conte is one of those managers like Guardiola, like Simeone, like Mourinho. They have got the careers to manage big teams. The results will tell us whether it is right or not but I really hope so.
The Italian, who previously managed Juventus to three successive Serie A titles, has reportedly been learning English for the past year, and Italy defender Andrea Ranocchia has warned Chelsea’s players about Conte’s intensity:
Conte is a big coach and very tough worker. The training sessions are intense and the Chelsea players who do not work hard will not play. It’s as simple as that. That is Conte’s character.
Since Chelsea announced the appointment of their new coach before Euro 2016, some are fearing that it may affect Italy’s performance at the tournament. However, Zola has said the opposite and suggested that Conte’s recent appointment to a top club and Claudio Ranieri’s success at Leicester is showing a revival in Italian coaches.
The players want to do well in this tournament, I don’t think it will be a problem because the players are aware that coaches sometimes leave. It’s good that we still have coaches who are appreciated. I’m happy because the last few years haven’t been good and to see our coaches appreciated and in good positions is good for us.
Zola’s Al Arabi side are currently 7th in the Qatar Stars League, and the Chelsea legend will be hoping for a strong finish to the season. The Blues themselves will be hoping for something similar, and they take on Swansea City at the Liberty Stadium this Saturday.
