Chelsea legend Gianfranco Zola has made the startling claim that Antonio Conte is as good as Jose Mourinho and Pep Guardiola. Conte experieced a trophy-laden spell with Juventus and Zola considers him to be the perfect man for the Chelsea job, although the Italian warned his fellow countryman with regards to transfers.
Chelsea announced that Conte will take over from Guss Hiddink at the start of next season, but given Conte’s history has only seen him in Italian football, the Chelsea faithful do not know what to expect from Conte.
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Zola made around 250 appearances for Chelsea and is one of the Blues fans’ most favourite players. Thus, his opinion carries weight among the Stamford Bridge faithful, with Zola telling the BBC about Conte, “He's done so well in Italy that he has to be considered the same level as Guardiola and Mourinho.”
“He has not won as much internationally but he is a good coach with a strong personality. I'm sure he will bring a lot to Chelsea.”
Conte won 6 trophies with Juventus in a three year spell, including 3 consecutive Serie A titles that also saw the Bianconeri go a season undefeated. While Pep Guardiola and Jose Mourinho have succeeded much more in European competitions, there is merit to Zola’s argument about Conte’s qualities
Conte’s transfer plans might be affected by lack of Champions League
Conte’s lack of European success will not bother the Stamford Bridge faithful in the interim, as the Blues are unlikely to play in the Champions League next season. As such there might be a stumbling block with regard to bringing players such as Roma’s Radja Nainggolan in, although Roman Abramovic’s funds could sway things in Chelsea’s favour.
Zola feels similarly, saying “There might be a problem bringing big players because playing in the Champions League is a big issue, but that actually could be an advantage because there won't be as much pressure on him.”
However, Conte, who has already made an appearance at Chelsea’s Cobham training facility to meet the players, is sure to demand much from the current Chelsea squad, having been described as the ‘Italian Mourinho’ in his time with Juventus.
Zola agrees with the sentiment, saying “Antonio as a coach is very disciplined, he demands a lot from the side no matter who you are and also tactically he works a lot. He will do well with Chelsea, I am sure.”
