Antonio Conte willing to take "risk" of winning title

By Barney Corkhill, Editor | 24 February 2017

Conte: 'I will take risk of winning title'

Chelsea boss Antonio Conte says that he is willing to take the "risk" of winning the Premier League after seeing the last two title-winning managers sacked.

Chelsea manager Antonio Conte has said that he is willing to take the "risk" of losing his job if his side win the Premier League title this season.

The past two title-winning managers have been sacked the following campaign, with Jose Mourinho lasting just seven months after his title triumph at Chelsea in 2015 and Claudio Ranieri being shown the door by Leicester City nine months after masterminding one of the greatest sporting stories of all time.

Conte's Chelsea look destined to succeed Leicester as champions of England this season, and the Italian laughed off the prospect of being sacked, suggesting that the bookmakers had already tipped him to leave following back-to-back defeats against Liverpool and Arsenal earlier in the season.

"First of all I think that it's important to finish this season in the best way and if we are able to reach this dream - for me, for the players - I'm ready to face this risk," he told reporters.

"There are 13 games until the end of the season and we want to stay at the top of the table. It won't be easy, but I'm ready to take this risk [if it] means we won the league.

"If you remember very well I was already sacked this season with the bookmakers. I was lucky to keep the right concentration and to continue the work."

Chelsea, who currently sit eight points clear at the top of the Premier League table, will host Swansea City on Saturday.