Antonio Conte speaks about Claudio Ranieri and his experience getting the sack

Antonio Conte gave one of his more insightful press conferences yesterday ahead of Chelsea’s fixture with Swansea City. Events outside of his club dominated a large amount of Conte’s conversation.

Antonio Conte has become increasingly more candid in his press conferences as his mastery of the English language grows and he becomes comfortable dealing with the English press. Last week, that manifested itself with insight into the lineup and team selection.

This week, Leicester City’s sudden sacking of FIFA Manager of the Year Claudio Ranieri caused journalists to ask Conte’s opinion on various aspects of the situation. Surprisingly, Conte answered in a way that shows exactly the type of manager he is himself.

The timing of the sacking shocked to Conte. Conte assessed the result against Sevilla a good one, with the Foxes scoring the crucial away goal. Leicester are very much still in the tie, which makes Ranieri’s sacking more perplexing.

Whether or not player power played a role in Ranieri’s sacking, Conte simply said it was disrespectful. Conte said that players should not control a manager’s destiny. If they do, the club lacks power.

This is noteworthy for Chelsea, who have had problems with player power in the past. As to how much it influenced previous sackings is unclear, but it has played a recurring role. Antonio Conte simply will not put up with it, and will stamp it out before it becomes an issue.

Conte called Ranieri a good friend, referred to him using his first name and said he would reach out to him soon. The manager understands how hard it is after being sacked, and implied that it was best to give Ranieri some space while the shock of the sacking is still raw.

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Only one club has sacked Conte: Arezzo. This was Conte’s very first managerial appointment. He called the sacking traumatic, which helps explain his approach towards Ranieri at the moment. Following his sacking, Conte observed other coaches to gain new ideas to use at the next club that would hire him.

Ironically, Arezzo rehired him the same season they sacked him. He put the new ideas to good use, bringing the club within a point of surviving relegation.

Tied into learning new ideas and the current opponent on deck, Conte said that Paul Clement and other English managers benefit from working abroad. Conte understands that in order to find the best solutions, all solutions must be on the table.

Clearly, Clement has picked up a thing or two while following Carlo Ancelotti around Europe. Under the previous two managers this season, Swansea had been lacking all over the pitch. Clement has had an immediate impact, making them much more dangerous as they have gained crucial points.

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But Clement is not the only manager to have grown under Ancelotti. Conte himself played under Ancelotti at Juventus. Ancelotti is set to take charge of his 1000th match this weekend. Conte called this a great achievement, and even went as far as to call Ancelotti the best Italian coach and one of the best in the world. Conte said he did not know if he would make it to 1000 games in charge, but he hoped to get close to Ancelotti’s record.

Conte provided an glimpse into his thoughts about European competitions. Watching the Champion’s League and Europa League on TV is hard for him and his players. But Conte also mentioned that the lack of it has allowed Chelsea to quickly adapt to his philosophy.

Asked about Manchester United’s fixture congestion due to Europa League surrounding the FA Cup tie, Conte refused to bite. The manager focuses on one game at a time, and focusing on United in a few weeks makes the team weaker for Swansea tomorrow.

This is an idea Conte has spoken of all season. The present is the primary focus, not the future. Focus on the present and the future will put itself into a favorable position.

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Coming full circle, a journalist asked Antonio Conte if he is worried that so many managers win the Premier League and do not make it through their next season. The Italian joked that bookmakers had already sacked him this season, but continued to say that he would be happy to take the risk if it meant he won the Premier League.