Antonio Conte refuses to discuss Eden Hazard talks following Manchester City comments

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Vaishali Bhardwaj9 March 2018

Antonio Conte has refused to reveal whether he spoke to Eden Hazard about the winger's comments surrounding Chelsea's tactics against Manchester City last weekend.

Hazard appeared to criticise Chelsea's set-up against Premier League leaders City at the Etihad Stadium last Sunday, in which the Belgian started as a 'false No.9', after the Blues lost the game 1-0 and had no shots on target.

"We could have played on for three hours, and I wouldn’t touch a ball," Hazard said. "Only at the end it went better: in the last 10-15 minutes we had more possession. But we should have tried to do that all game."

Conte was asked on Friday ahead of Chelsea's London derby clash with Crystal Palace whether he had spoken to Hazard this week about his comments - which the Chelsea boss was in no mood to answer directly although he did defend his tactics at the Etihad Stadium.

"As you know very well, I don't like to reply to my players through the press. This is not my habit. I like to talk with the players face to face, or in meetings with all the players," Conte told reporters at Cobham on Friday.

"The tactics were the same against Barcelona. Defensively, we were very good in both games. If you look at the stats, we conceded only two shots to Manchester City: one they scored, and another after a free-kick and Azpi [Cesar Azpilicueta] saved it on the line.

"Compare that with the Barcelona game, I think we were not so good in ball possession. We missed a lot of last passes. And, for sure, we have to improve.

"But the tactics were the same against Barcelona and, against Barcelona, I didn't listen to anyone complaining."

He added: "I don't like to speak to the press what happens with one player, with two players, with the team. This is private. It's my job. I think it's right to manage the situation in the way I always manage every season."

Conte did, however, offer an insight into a similar situation involving himself during his playing days when he criticised his then-manager at Juventus, Marcello Lippi, during an interview - and the repercussions it had.

"I did this when I was a player. I did this once," Conte said. "Do you want to know what happened? Juventus, with Lippi. We played a game, a massive game against Parma when they were first and we were second. We won 3-1.

"After the game, there was an international break. During the international break they made me an interview. The journalists asked me if I was happy with the team and with this important win.

"My stupid answer was, 'We are winning, but I'm not happy because I'm not enjoying the role the coach decided to give me.'

"When I came back to Turin, it was a meeting with Lippi and all the players, all the players, and he killed me. He killed me in a bad way, not in a soft way. In front of the players. Killed me in a bad way, not in a soft or kind way.

"After the training, the club called me. They killed me another time, put me a big, big fine. And then, in the next game, I didn't play. I was on the bench against Piacenze. You can check. That's in the past. This is a funny story."

Despite Conte's decision to play Hazard up front against City backfiring, the Chelsea coach admitted he will continue to play the Belgian in the 'false No.9' role should the opportunity call for it.

"Yes, but if I think it's right for the team to play in this way, it's okay," he said. "Otherwise I can take another decision and play with a striker. Maybe.

"I can take different decisions. There are three players for two places. One has to go on the bench. Then I have to decide who has to go on the bench.”

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