Chelsea are getting a top manager in Antonio Conte, says former Blues boss Carlo Ancelotti

James Benge2 June 2016

Carlo Ancelotti has backed Antonio Conte to thrive at Chelsea.

The Italy head coach will head straight to Stamford Bridge after Euro 2016, where he will face the onerous task of reinvigorating a struggling squad that scraped into the top 10 and ensuring that the Blues’ absence from the Champions League is no more than a season.

Conte will be the 13th manager to take charge of Chelsea since Roman Abramovich bought the club in 2003 but arrives in the Premier League with an impressive CV, having transformed Juventus into perennial title winners after consecutive seventh-place finishes.

Italian managers have a rich heritage of success at Chelsea but Conte will be looking to emulate Ancelotti, who won the league title in impressive style in his first season at Stamford Bridge. And the incoming Bayern Munich boss believes his compatriot is perfectly suited to west London.

The players Antonio Conte wants to transform Chelsea this summer

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“Conte is a hard worker: really serious, really professional and always focused on his job,” Ancelotti told FourFourTwo. “Chelsea are getting a top manager who will look at all the little details.

“Coming to England from Italy, he will find a different world: less pressure, no violence, a great atmosphere, full stadiums – just totally different from Italy at this moment. He can definitely be a success at Chelsea.

“The club has a lucky relationship with Italians. There was Gianluca Vialli, me, and then Roberto Di Matteo, who helped them to win the Champions League.”

Chelsea are willing to spend big to ensure Conte can get his new side back to winning ways and are expected to make £31m Roma midfielder Radja Nainggolan their first signing.

Former Chelsea striker Romelu Lukaku is also on Conte’s wishlist though the Blues are reluctant to meet the £65m valuation Everton have placed on the Belgian international.

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