Who is Antonio Conte and how did he do it?
It's hard not to look at the new 2016/17 Premier League champions and think bouncing back is possible, and motivate yourself; I know I will.
Chelsea last season had what most would describe as a really terrible season, having come from winning the premier league the previous year and then at some point in a relegation battle and finally where we are today. Antonio Conte took the helm of Chelsea with an aim of either finding a way or making one, a quote from Hannibal which was on cards he gave to staff and other people at the club at a Christmas party.
Antonio Conte took over Chelsea's helm and started out kind of rocky, with losses against Jurgen Klopp with Liverpool and Pep Guardiola's Manchester City. Later, however, Chelsea got it's flow together, with even diets changing to dried fruit, seeds and nuts a change from pizza's, chicken, pasta sandwiches, scrambled eggs and salad. Conte being adamant about the health benefits of such a diet versus the previous one and even the benefits to be expected on the pitch, the players adapted to this after a while.
Antonio Conte, 47, is a manager who is hands on completely with all the staff in the club, the players and family. He is a workaholic spending most of his time at the club or at home watching football, looking for inspiration and improvements that need to be done.
He is a living example that hard work and dedication despite the way things might look at the moment, staying consistent with it and doing your best and trying to do things even better, will lead to success. In his case the Premier League, his fourth cup in three years, from managing two teams, Juventus and now Chelsea. He is said to love the thrill of the game, as stated in an article on sky sports.
The game itself (against West Brom) was largely eventless in the goals category with no goals being seen until late in the game in the 82nd minute actually. The goal scorer being Batshuayi, his first goal since August and was the one that has clinched the title for Chelsea. It's a scrappy goal but no one at Chelsea cares as a slide into the middle by Azpilicueta after West Brom failed to clear and Batshuayi was there to turn in from a few yards out.
A few statistics.
Chelsea won the title with a squad of 23 players this season so far, equal lowest with Liverpool, Spurs and West Bromwich Albion. Chelsea, when they won the titles in 2004-05 and 2009-10, had a squad of 30 and 25 in 2005-06 and 2014-15. So they have a healthy number as Conte continues fine-tuning his strategies looking for the perfect plays and starting 11, with options including transfers,
Chelsea looks like it will be providing competitive football next season and will thus be a great battle for the premier league title next season. Well worth watching. My hats off to the Premier League Champions 2016/17 Chelsea.
