Conte 'satisfied' Chelsea spell was a success despite being sacked

Antonio Conte has declared himself “satisfied” with what he achieved at Chelsea despite facing a number of challenges in England and being unceremoniously sacked from a high-profile post.

The Italian spent just two seasons in charge of the Blues.

His debut campaign delivered a Premier League title triumph, while his second included an FA Cup success.

Major silverware was not enough to keep him in the job, as he was replaced by countryman Maurizio Sarri, but Conte is able to look back fondly on his time in west London.

He told Sky Sport Italia: “I am still living in London, as we wanted to give our little girl the opportunity to learn English.

“We live in Cobham, in the countryside near Chelsea’s training ground, so there isn’t much to do. I spend a lot of my time on the couch watching matches and TV shows.

“Chelsea represented a very important experience for my career, as a coach needs to have an experience abroad, dealing with other cultures and languages.

“I am satisfied, we won a Premier League title and played in two FA Cup finals in two years.”

Conte admits he found the going tough in England at times, with there a marked difference between life in the Premier League and that he had grown accustomed to in Serie A.

The 49-year-old added: “There are many [differences], above all before the game in Italy it’s like walking into church, whereas in England the kit staff put on loud music straight after I’ve announced the line-up.

“It wasn’t easy to deal with at first, but you get used to it. It’s impossible to change everything. I had particular problems with the differences in nutrition.

“Yet there is a definite difference in the intensity with which the English teams run. If you watch Italian and English games, you see there is a lot less focus on tactics and they tend to just throw everything forward.”

Conte has remained without a club since leaving Chelsea, but continues to be linked with a number of posts.

A possible return to Juventus has been mooted for a man who has previously represented the Bianconeri with distinction as a player and coach, with Massimiliano Allegri potentially leaving the Serie A leaders at some point in the future.