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Chelsea cannot allow player unrest to creep into another title-defending season

By Vishnu Raj

LONDON, ENGLAND - MAY 27: David Luiz of Chelsea dejected at full time during the Emirates FA Cup Final match between Arsenal and Chelsea at Wembley Stadium on May 27, 2017 in London, England. (Photo by Robbie Jay Barratt - AMA/Getty Images)
LONDON, ENGLAND - MAY 27: David Luiz of Chelsea dejected at full time during the Emirates FA Cup Final match between Arsenal and Chelsea at Wembley Stadium on May 27, 2017 in London, England. (Photo by Robbie Jay Barratt - AMA/Getty Images) /
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Player unrest derailed Chelsea’s last title-defending season, costing Jose Mourinho his job and leaving the Blues broken and in 10th place. The club cannot allow a repeat of that over Diego Costa’s transfer issues.

After a successful Premier League triumph, everything went south for Jose Mourinho and Chelsea in 2015/16. Players’ unrest was the final nail in the coffin for his tenure as Chelsea manager. Management must be careful not to allow the same to happen yet again.

Eva Carneiro was a popular figure throughout the club. As the first-team doctor she was highly respected by players, fans and her colleagues in the top reaches of sports medicine. Jose Mourinho’s bewildering impulse to insult and alienate her damaged affected the team’s morale. It was only the beginning.

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Soon more reports came out about problems between players and Mourinho. Mourinho’s comments about players’ betrayal worsened the situation. His continued complaints and blame-shifting about everything other than him put the Blues in a full-out tailspin.

Diego Costa is one of the popular figures among Chelsea players. However, that does not protect him or the club from the consequences of his actions. His public revelations alleging text messages from Antonio Conte affect the mindset among those involved with Chelsea. Yes, the whole world knows who Costa is. Still, his recent actions can impact on his teammates’ mentality.

Many players are in the middle of vacation or national team duty. Their absence deprives them from a clear idea about the whole situation. Telling a player he is not wanted during off-season via message is never the right way. The last thing the club wants is doubts circulating among their players. One of Antonio Conte’s achievements at Chelsea is the family atmosphere he has built.

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Being a former player himself, Antonio Conte will be aware of how exactly players feel at moments like this. Chelsea fans can be hopeful that Conte will deal with the situation effectively. An effective solution to the saga is all fans want right now.

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