Chelsea

Antonio Conte: 'My priority is to repay faith Roman Abramovich showed in me'

By Danielle Joynson, Staff Reporter | 22 November 2016

Conte: 'Priority is to repay Abramovich faith'

Chelsea manager Antonio Conte says that he prioritises repaying the faith shown in him by club owner Roman Abramovich over winning trophies.

Chelsea manager Antonio Conte has claimed that repaying the faith shown in him by club owner Roman Abramovich is his main priority.

The 47-year-old was hired by the Russian billionaire in April as a replacement for Jose Mourinho, who was sacked four months prior.

Conte did not arrive at Stamford Bridge until the summer as he ended his two-year spell in charge of the Italy national team by guiding them to the quarter-finals of the European Championships.

Since taking on the job at Chelsea, Conte has overseen nine wins out of 12 in the Premier League, and six of those victories have come successively since October 1 after the Italian coach switched formation to 3-4-3.

The team may be hunting for silverware this season, but Conte has admitted that his main ambition is to show Abramovich that he made the right call.

"I want to prove to the owner that he picked well when he chose Antonio Conte for the next three years. For me, that counts more than titles," Conte told Gazzetta dello Sport.

Chelsea currently sit at the top of the Premier League table, with just three points separating first and fourth.