Antonio Conte has revitalized Chelsea FC’s culture at every level of the club. His character helps explain the large gap between the Blues and their supposedly closest competitors.
Chelsea had their first glimpse at who Antonio Conte is shortly after the club confirmed his hiring. Conte came to England, quietly observed Chelsea and met privately with a few players and staff. He did not make any splashy media appearances and no leaks emanated from “the Conte camp.” The press continued apace breathlessly anticipating the Pep Guardiola – Jose Mourinho showdown as Conte concluded his time as Italy’s national coach.
The significance of Conte’s observational tour became more clear when he described himself as a tailor. His job, as he sees it, is to make the best suit for the team with the players he has.
"When Mourinho or Guardiola come into a club, they’re looking to make everything theirs. They look to put their complete philosophy onto the club, taking nothing that the club already has. When Conte comes into a club, he looks at what the club has and determines what he can do with it. – Travis Tyler, The Blue Lions"
Guardiola and Mourinho view themselves as transformational figures within the sport. Guardiola’s accomplishments at Barcelona and Bayern Munich led him to think that he was the linchpin of both clubs’ success. Messi, Xavi, Lewandowski, Neuer… no matter. Guardiola.
Mourinho, more than any other manager in football, consciously created his cult of personality. His record spoke to his football acumen, but he spoke to the image he wanted to craft. His droll taunts at press conferences ensured the media hung on his every word. From there, he could use the media to his own purposes. Whether he was preemptively excusing his team’s performance, passive-aggressively criticizing officials or shaming his squad, he would always choose a camera over face-to-face contact.
"They made it more about themselves and stamping their authority, rather than understanding the league and understanding their team… Conte remains so focussed on winning, because that’s all that matters. He hasn’t engaged with any mind games in the media – his conferences are always professional. That’s what’s important: professionalism. He doesn’t see being a manager as a celebrity role, he sees it as a job. – Rayna Sidhu"
Antonio Conte spends far more time studying his defeats than celebrating his victories. In a way he is more media and culturally savvy than either Guardiola or Mourinho. Those managers continue to trade on their past. Conte knows that your perception lies on the most recent thing people remember, so it better be a win.
Antonio Conte’s former players almost unanimously speak well of him, something neither Mourinho nor Guardiola can claim. Mourinho’s personality and motivational techniques have a maximum shelf-life of three years. Guardiola’s have never really been tested given his circumstances at Barcelona and Munich.
Next: Antonio Conte to stay and take Chelsea to the next level
Conte has won the first round of the golden era of Premier League managers. Tactics, transfers and physical conditioning have been a large part of that, but all top managers have those abilities to a similar extent. Character is harder to quantify and not always apparent in advance. But when you look back to how the final results came to be, the intangibles account for a significant part of the margin.