Chelsea consider four Antonio Conte replacements as £9.5m stand-off holds up exit

CHELSEA owner Roman Abramovich is locked in a stubborn £9.5million stand off with coach Antonio Conte.
The Russian billionaire is unhappy with the way Chelsea’s season has plunged into disarray this season, with his club now set to miss out on the top four and the chance of Champions league football next season – and with only the FA Cup left to aim for.

Previous Chelsea coaches like Andre Villas-Boas and Felipe Scolari have been axed at the point when Champions League qualification was threatened.

But with just six weeks of the season left Abramovich is reluctant to hand Italian Conte a pay off yet for the remaining year left of the deal he signed after winning the title last season, worth around £9.5m.

Sunday’s disastrous 3-1 defeat at Stamford Bridge by Tottenham means Chelsea, with just six games left of the season, are eight points off the top four.
If Abramovich was to axe Antonio Conte, he would also have to axe the nine backroom staff, including his brother Gianluca.

The Italian brought him to the club when he arrived in 2016, all of them also having a year left on their contracts – which would make it even more expensive.

Chelsea have an FA Cup semi-final against struggling Southampton in three weeks and are strong favourites to make it to the May 19 final against either Manchester United or Spurs.

Former Chelsea manager Gianluca Vialli insisted on Sunday that the unhappy Conte was “almost looking forward” to leaving the club. But those close to him have said that the Italian will not resign.



Yet unless there is a rapid change of heart from Abramovich, Conte – on around £182,000 a week – and his staff will not now be paid off until the season ends.
Under the terms of his deal, Conte is entitled to be paid for up to a year until he gets another job.

Paris Saint-Germain, who are set to sack current coach Unai Emery at the end of this season, could be a future destination.

Former Barcalona coach Luis Enrique, ex-Borussia Dortmund chief Thomas Tuchel and Napoli coach Maurizio Sarri are on the hit list to replace Conte and Juventus coach Massimo Allegri’s hint this week that he wants to work outside Italy in his next job, has also alerted Abramovich.

Conte’s leaving could herald a summer of major change at Chelsea, with top players like Eden Hazard and Thibaut Courtis, neither of whom have yet signed the new deals that have been offered them, set to be targets for Real Madrid, among other clubs.

An ageing squad is likely to be overhauled by any new manager coming in.

Source:www.express.co.uk