Chelsea boss Antonio Conte has applauded potential replacement Luis Enrique speaking highly of him and admitting there are no hard feelings if the former Barcelona boss ends up in his place as Chelsea coach.
Conte, has been under increasing fire, after series of losses especially the back to back defeat the team faced against Watford and Bournemouth as the Blues dropped to fourth on the table.
Chelsea owner Roman Abramovich has given Conte some grace period to hit back the road of glory with better results, despite several suggestions of him kicking the Italian tactician out. Chelsea will be hoping to redeem
themselves with the upcoming Champion League last-16 tie against Barcelona.
What stares Conte and his charges in the face though, is a possible defeat to West Brom on Monday that could possible seal his fate as Chelsea manager.
The Chelsea boss claims he has no issue if the top target Enrique ends up in the Chelsea dugout having seen Enrique close up when both men were in charge of Juventus and AS Roma in the Italian top division in 2011-12 season and he admits he has been a great admirer of Enrique.
“We played against each other and he’s a really good person. I have great admiration for Luis Enrique and he is a fantastic coach. He reached his targets with Barcelona, and also with Roma, you could see a well-organised team. I can speak about him very well, as a person and a coach.
We do this job, and our job is not difficult, but you must be open and understand the situation can change. A club can take different decisions. It’s the same for me. But, I repeat, I’m not jealous or envious of other managers. Everyone knows his job, his work. I have, usually, a great respect.”
Antonio Conte, Metro
Enrique has achieved an impressive record as he capped a three year spell for Barcelona with an astounding total of nine titles. He is believed to be on Chelsea wishlist after the team has encountered staggering results in previous games but the former Barcelona boss has remained silent about the link with Stamford Bridge.
