Antonio Conte’s Italy takes on Germany in the quarterfinals of Euro 2016 today. If Italy wins, Chelsea’s new manager’s arrival at Stamford Bridge is further delayed. Is a trophy for the Azzurri bad for the Blues?
Antonio Conte likes to win. There you have it: the Understatement of the Year. Conte’s full-body aerobic workout on the touchline during Italy’s Euro 2016 Round of 16 match with Hungary exemplified the passion Chelsea’s new manager brings to the game.
Conte was clear from the outset that his prospective duties at Chelsea FC would not interfere with his commitment to Italy through the conclusion of Euro 2016. Italy was a pre-tournament favorite to win the Euro 2016 title, everyone involved knew that Conte may not arrive at Stamford Bridge until mid-July.
Chelsea fans will enjoy watching Conte raise the Euro 2016 trophy, knowing that their incoming manager is a consummate winner. Chelsea players and staff may be relieved if Conte wins. He is volatile enough in victory. Imagine if he loses.
Despite the good sentiment, a prolonged Italy run into Euro 2016 may be detrimental to Conte’s first season at Chelsea. The longer Conte is away from Chelsea, the worse Chelsea’s position in the transfer market.
Barely 36 hours into the summer transfer window, Chelsea’s passivity in scouting and wooing potential transfers is turning into a rout in the transfer market. Manchester United signed Zlatan Ibrahimovic and Henrikh Mkhitaryan. Everton are set to sign Chelsea target Axel Witsel. Crystal Palace snagged the Blues’ possible backup goalie Steve Mandanda. Arsenal picked up Granit Xhaka.
Meanwhile, Chelsea seems no closer to signing John Stones, Radja Nainggolan, Alvaro Morata or Paulo Dybala. N’Golo Kante is a strong maybe, but the same could have been said for several others.
Conte’s absence from the Chelsea transfer market war room is already costing the club. Other teams are progressing rapidly down the sales funnel towards their desired signings, while Chelsea is hamstrung by not knowing what they need, who they want and how to fulfill the manager’s vision in terms of personnel and budget.
The club’s manager and technical director are the driving forces in creating and executing transfer strategy. Right now, Michael Emenalo is piloting the ship solo. The best thing he can do is nothing, given his track record and the discord and humiliation that he would bring upon the club by signing a player that was not Conte-approved.
must read: Chelsea FC's top 30 transfers of all time
In the time it could take Italy to win Euro 2016, any number of potential transfers will be off the market and taking selfies with their new kit. An even greater number of players will be building relationships, advancing negotiations and entering bid wars with a variety of clubs. By the time Chelsea wades in, top prospects will be gone, mediocre prospects will be over-valued and low prospects will be clamoring for scraps.
Consider the prospect that Chelsea – late to the game and without European football next season – will be one of those scraps.
Conte needs every available training day to begin teaching his high-discipline, formation-intensive style of play. Chelsea players will need to raise their passion to 11 on day one, and almost-as-quickly start evolving to the likely 3-5-2 “chameleon” set-up. Chelsea and Conte cannot afford to lose any cohesive training time because the necessary players are not in place.
August 13 is only 41 days away.
Chelsea and their fans desperately want to see Conte win, but they desperately want to see him win in Chelsea blue, not Azzurri blue. Throughout Euro 2016, Conte and Chelsea have been playing a zero-sum game against each other. Conte’s wins come at Chelsea’s expense.
Next: Eden Hazard and Thibaut Courtois fail to quell fears at Euro 2016
Chelsea does not have many dogs left in the Euro 2016 fight. To make the most out of the 2016/17 Premier League season, they may want to cheer on Andre Schurrle’s Germany today so Conte can get to his West London office as soon as possible.