Antonio Conte responded to a question about the “Premier League curse” by explaining what motivates him. Unsurprisingly, the money is an important but distant second behind winning.
Antonio Conte probably has 26 May circled, starred and highlighted on his personal calendar. The day before Chelsea’s FA Cup final against Arsenal. The last day he will have to endure the banter of his pre-match press conference. Conte will then have a short reprieve from dealing with questions about transfer rumours in order to deal with the very real business of conducting transfers.
Conte’s own contract situation has become increasingly popular fodder for the banter factories. Inter Milan is supposedly interested in luring Conte away from Chelsea with a massive contract offer. Conte’s family is still in Italy. And, as an intrepid reporter bravely pointed out to Conte yesterday, four of the last five Premier League-winning managers were sacked during their title-defending season.
With such hardy evidence pointing to his imminent departure, Conte faced a question on the so-called “Premier League curse.” He segued from that answer to explain why a title-winning bonus or new contract is not a priority.
"When you start the work in a new club, your will is to continue your work and improve the work for many years… When you reach a type of level the money could be important but it is not all. The money only tell you your value. Understand? It is not important. Money is not as important as to win. I think the most important thing for me and the players is to write the history for the club. – Chelsea FC"
Few people expect coaches to have any more loyalty or longevity than players. The sport will likely never see another Sir Alex Ferguson. Nor would any club besides Arsenal tolerate the continued employment of another Arsene Wenger.
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The best a club and coach can hope is for is enough time and stability to build a grand project, and then move on. The coach that can achieve such a thing will want to move on to another challenge. A club that values sustained success knows that turnover at the top is essential to maintain tactical and ideological freshness.
Antonio Conte, with his winning mentality and passion for building football success, is just such a coach. Once he builds the foundation for years of success and has the trophies to cement his legacy, he will desire a new project.
"I enjoy to have this type of big challenge. I need to have this type of situation where you arrive and you have to work a lot, to transform the situation in the right way."
Whatever Inter Milan could offer Antonio Conte, they could not overcome the fact that he has not yet completed his work at Chelsea. One Premier League trophy and one FA Cup – assuming everything goes well in the coming weeks – would not satisfy Conte. He would not leave England if that is all he has accomplished. The unfinished business would gnaw at his sense of purpose.
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Chelsea will certainly renegotiate Antonio Conte’s contract this summer. They may offer him an extension or they may simply increase his wages for the remaining two years. The negotiations will not be about paying him more for the sake of his finances, but to ensure that Chelsea shows how highly they value him. As long as Chelsea proves that value, the transfer banter will remain just that.