Antonio Conte signed new terms but no extension to his original contract at Chelsea. Over the next two years, both sides will have to prove to each other why the Conte era should last into the 2020s.
Chelsea found a way to make even Antonio Conte’s new contract an underwhelming event. They announced in the late afternoon that Conte signed a new two-year contract. Those two years started yesterday, so while Conte will be making a club-record salary the two parties did not commit beyond the term of his original deal.
Over the coming weeks (months, years) rumours and anonymous reports will fly back and forth, saying that one side or the other fought against a contract extension. Most likely, neither party wanted to commit themselves to anything new.
Antonio Conte may very well be frustrated by Chelsea’s slow-moving transfer business. He still does not have a striker. He left one of his two significant signings behind in London to continue injury rehab. And in the few positions where he has a Chelsea-calibre starter, he has no squad depth.
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Conte may feel that Chelsea need to prove their sincerity and commitment to him before he agrees to an extension. He may already have the sense that, after last season, the board and the technical director think that he – Conte – is the guarantor of success. Conte knows that Chelsea are not in any condition to repeat as Premier League champions, let alone go deep in the Champions League.
For him to build the sort of long-term project that drew him to Chelsea – a dynasty and a legacy – he needs his club to bring him the right players. He is willing and able to make do when necessary. But he will not allow the club to take advantage of his passion and ability.
From the club’s perspective, the only thing they like more than sacking managers is being short-sighted. They are well aware of what happened in the December following the last Premier League title, and how much that payout cost. Not extending Antonio Conte’s contract gives Roman Abramovich flexibility on the cheap.
Beyond that, Chelsea have little excuse for not extending Antonio Conte well into the next decade. He mended a fractured locker room within weeks. He instigated a mini-revolution in Premier League tactics. He won the Premier League with an improbable starting XI, and with Diego Costa deciding on a day-by-day basis if he cared to play.
However, they may have recognized that Antonio Conte will demand as much from them as he does from his players. They have probably been on the receiving end of Antonio Conte’s #passion numerous times in the last month. Their ears may still be ringing from the moment Conte heard that Romelu Lukaku signed at Manchester United.
Not extending Conte is the path of least resistance. If the front office continues to dither and not procure new transfers, Conte will be gone in two years. He will either leave on his own in disgust, or will be sacked after having been set up for failure. Either way, his absence will make life easier for those who otherwise have to live up to his standards.
Antonio Conte and Chelsea have therefore put each other on notice. Conte must continue to deliver wins and silverware. The club will reward him financially for those achievements, but not with security nor confidence.
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And Chelsea will have to learn to appreciate the manager they have. Antonio Conte will not lack for job offers for as long as he remains in football. If the club take Conte for granted and deprive him of the tools he needs to succeed, he may break Chelsea precedent and quit before they have a chance to fire him.