Managerial departures at Chelsea don’t come as a huge surprise now, as owner Roman Abramovich is notorious for quickly sending coaches packing when things turn sour on and off the pitch.
Some might be surprised that Antonio Conte is still in the hot seat at Stamford Bridge, as the issues he’s had with the board have not only been well-documented online, but he’s openly spoken up about them in person at his press conferences.
EXIT SPECULATION
The Italian won the Premier League at the first time of asking last season, but he’s endured a tough summer in terms of landing his targets and is still desperate to secure a few more big-names before the transfer window slams shut until the winter.
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However, it’s the way he’s handled the Diego Costa saga which seems to have irritated the Chelsea board.
In a moment of madness, Conte sent a text message to the Spain international to tell him he’s no longer in his plans and is surplus to requirements, but the club are making life difficult for him as he only wants to return to Atletico Madrid but he’s currently being priced out of a move.
Perhaps that’s a big reason why his future at Stamford Bridge has been in question recently; more so on Wednesday morning when Sport Bild in Germany reported that the west London side have already identified his replacement – Thomas Tuchel.
Tuchel is now out of work after exiting Borussia Dortmund, and the source claims that although there’s no timeframe on his appointment, he’s the individual they will turn to next.
That came as a surprise as Conte last week claimed that he wanted to end the trend of early managerial departures at Chelsea, and was looking forward to working with the club when they move into their new stadium.
Now, Chelsea have reacted to those exit claims.
DENIED
Goal have reported that Chelsea told them they are not looking into replacing Conte with the former Dortmund coach, and he'll be remaining at the club.
The earlier story claimed Conte’s handling of the Costa situation and openly voicing his frustrations disappointed Chelsea director Marina Granovskaia and she went ahead and made contact with the German.
However, that report has also been denied by the Premier League champions who remain confident that the relationship between the director and the manager can keep the club moving in the direction they are trying to go in.
Outspoken or not, if Conte is succeeding in his role then it could be a huge mistake in replacing him for some of the actions he’s taken.
What do you make of Chelsea denying the Thomas Tuchel reports? Have YOUR say in the comments section below.
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