The Italian strategist's intelligence and toughness are not surprising. Recently published information from the British media said that coach Conte is having disagreements with Chelsea's board about the transfer policy. This is similar to his final time at Juventus.
He came to Stamford Bridge after winning 3 consecutive Serie A titles with the "Old Diem". On the day Juventus crowned him in 2013-14, his final season here, when asked about his plans for next season, he replied in surprise: "Can you go to a restaurant and order a 100 euro dish with only 10 euros in your pocket?".
With that metaphor, coach Conte hinted at Juventus' UEFA Champions League prospects, a title that the owners there, the Agnelli family, all want. However, this coach proved that Juventus's force at that time was not strong enough. In 2013-2014, the "Old Da Nang" said goodbye to the UEFA Champions League from the group stage.
Coach Conte's problem is simple: His team is not financially competitive with other "tycoons" in Europe. There is no shortage of evidence of this. When Juventus were defeated by Bayern Munich in the quarter-finals of the UEFA Champions League in 2012-2013, he told the press: "You can't build a skyscraper with a bucket and a shovel".
Before facing Real Madrid in the group stage of the UEFA Champions League 2013-2014, the head coach of Juventus said at that year: "They are sitting in a tank while we are in a car".
Coach Conte wants Juventus to use money to buy Alexis Sanchez (then at Barcelona and moved to Arsenal after the VCK World Cup 2014) and Juan Cuadrado to upgrade the squad. Instead, the team's leadership told him that they would buy Patrice Evra, a full-back who won the UEFA Champions League for Man United but was 33 years old at the time.
Conte has also been disappointed with many other policies in Juventus' reform process, from summer tour plans to bonuses for players' wins. On July 15, 2014, Juventus announced that coach Conte would part ways with the team after reaching a consensus between the two sides.
In an official announcement posted on Juventus' website, the strategist said he wanted to "send thanks" to the team but "it is difficult to maintain success with Juventus".
Juventus president Andrea Agnelli has given coach Conte many compliments, describing him as a "talented leader" and "making Juve make history".
A year later, when asked about his relationship with coach Conte, Mr. Agnelli gave a slightly different response. Talking about the former Juventus "captain's" weaknesses, he said: "He is probably a bit angry, especially when talking about things that he does not want. That is stubbornness, that is for sure.
Chelsea must have known about this when they decided to sign coach Antonio Conte. They also understand how the coach left Bari in the past to get a new job. That was just one month after they were promoted to Serie A.
Now, as Chelsea's board and coach Antonio Conte are struggling to build a team from an English championship to dominating Europe, they are feeling the stubbornness of this coach.
