Conte had clashed often with the board at Chelsea, particularly over their transfer policy, and so it was thought for a while that they would opt to release the Italian from his duties.
While it was not a surprise that the Italian would be leaving the club, after all he was Chelsea’s 12th manager in 15 years during the Roman Abramovich era, many were left puzzled as to why the announcement came so late, and why he was allowed to take preseason training when a replacement, Maurizio Sarri, had already been found.
The announcement came so late, in fact, that Chelsea’s Cesc Fabregas posted on social media to thank Conte for his work over 24 hours before the club acted.
On Chelsea’s website, an extremely brief statement was posted which did not even thank Conte for his services at Stamford Bridge over the last 2 seasons.
However, the manager released his own statement on Monday in which he outlines how grateful he is to the ‘Blues’ for the time he spent there.
“I would like to thank all of my friends at Chelsea Football Club for their hard work and support over the past two seasons which enabled us to win the Premier League and FA Cup together,” the former Juventus boss said.
“I have enjoyed my time in England and London so much and I want to thank the Chelsea fans who have been amazing to me and my family.
“It was fantastic for me to be able to share my emotions, passion and enthusiasm throughout two unforgettable seasons with these amazing Chelsea supporters, who will always stay in my heart.”
The two parties reached an agreement that saw Conte leave the club in which he will be paid up to £9 million in compensation for the year he had left on his contract.
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