Antonio Conte is reportedly butting heads with Chelsea officials as they search for a suitable candidate to replace the outbound Steve Holland.
While matters on the pitch are going relatively well, there are some sticking points off it. Antonio Conte is reportedly in a dispute with the Chelsea board regarding Steve Holland’s successor. The club apparently want an Englishman appointed, while Conte prefers someone from his homeland.
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According to The Times (subscription required), Chelsea officials want a candidate who can outlast Conte and provide continuity to the next regime, whenever that comes.
"Chelsea’s view is that any replacement for Holland should be British to provide continuity in the event of future managerial changes, which has been their policy throughout the Roman Abramovich era."
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While Chelsea have been through several managers since Roman Abramovich’s arrival, the assistants have been a reassuring presence on the sidelines. From Steve Clark to Eddie Newton to Steve Holland, the friendly face has projected that image of familiarity.
Now, with Holland taking up a full-time role alongside Gareth Southgate with England, the Blues need a new right-hand man.
Conte has proven himself to be proficient English, but he reportedly uses Italian as his main language at Cobham. With the majority of his key staff coming from Italy, meetings and discussions are conducted in his native tongue.
Bringing in another compatriot would only make life easier for the coaching staff when they draw up tactics and training sessions.
However, the whole backroom staff would likely leave if Conte were to, creating more headaches for the board when he inevitably gets fired.
The contributions of the assistant coaches are perhaps underappreciated. While Conte is the figurehead, it is the likes of Holland who are hands-on at Cobham, running the training sessions.
The continuity that Chelsea’s current model provides has supposedly benefited Conte greatly. Holland’s familiarity with the first-team squad, down to the academy talent, has helped the Italian get a grip quicker. The board do not want to mend a model that isn’t broken.
How do you see this playing out? Will it be Conte or the board who gets their way? Let us know in the comments below!