5 reasons why Antonio Conte may be appointed Italy manager

#5 Current Chelsea situation

Dele Alli celebrates scoring in front of angry Chelsea fans

Enough has been said about Chelsea's misfortunes under Conte this season but it was all compounded in their frustrating home loss to rivals Spurs last weekend. In a tight affair, it was Spurs' players who rose to the challenge and asserted superiority, winning 3-1, their first victory at Stamford Bridge in over 20 years. The defeat put Spurs ahead by eight points and they'll be favourites to secure that coveted fourth place.

Consistency has been a massive issue this season, with good wins often being followed by shock defeats. Perhaps the extra toll of the Champions League has hurt Conte's squad, a distraction they didn't have last season.

That competition is the one Abramovich craves over all others and Conte did well to steer his team through difficult group including Atletico Madrid and Roma, but they were easily overcome by Barcelona in the knockout stage: after a strong 1-1 draw at home, the Spanish giants blew them away in the return leg, Lionel Messi scoring twice. Chelsea, simply, weren't at the same level as their opponents.

Abramovich isn't an owner who allows any margin for failure - as excellent managers like Mourinho and Carlo Ancelotti have found out - and he'll certainly not tolerate Chelsea missing out on Champions League qualification for next season. If he is fired, it will be tough on Conte, for Chelsea haven't endured a truly terrible season; it just hasn't been good enough for his austere Russian owner.