Chelsea midfielder Willian has stated that he wouldn’t have remained at Stamford Bridge had Antonio Conte carried on as manager.
Willian joined the club from Shakhtar Donetsk in 2013 and has since gone on to make more than 160 appearances in the blue shirt. During that time he has managed to pick up 2 Premier League winners medals and an FA Cup title, impressing supporters and experts alike as a box to box midfielder with a unique edge in the final third.
His 25 goals for Chelsea are a testament to that, as he manages to consistently contribute to or finish off threatening attacks, playing alongside N’golo Kante and Cesc Fabregas in midfield.
Last season, however, was a low point for the Brazilian and indeed for the club as a whole, as the team only managed to finish in 5th place in the Premier League, meekly relinquishing the title they had won the previous year and finishing outside the Champions League places.
It turned out to be Antonio Conte’s last season at Stamford Bridge, despite the FA Cup success against Manchester United in May and Willian certainly seems to blame the Italian for the recent downturn in fortunes at the club.
According to The Sun, when asked by reporters if he would still be at Chelsea if Conte continued as manager for another year, the 30-year-old midfielder gave this frank response: “No chance. No. I’m here because I want to play for Chelsea. I will only leave if Chelsea want me to go.”
The Sun reports that Conte fell out with several key members of the dressing room during in his final year, including Willian and that in the end the players no longer believed in his philosophy, which certainly translated into their performances on the pitch.
The former Shakhtar star reportedly turned down a move to Barcelona this summer, but only after he knew that Chelsea were bringing in Maurizio Sarri to manage the team for the 2018/19 season – as per BT Sport.
Following the Blues 3-0 victory against Huddersfield on Saturday in their first game of the new campaign, Willian went on to praise the new boss for his tactics, which could easily be interpreted as an indirect reference to the contrast between the two Italian coaches.
“The manager tells us to play, to enjoy ourselves on the pitch, with responsibility.” he continued, states The Sun.
“Now we have a different style, that’s why we can create problems for Arsenal.
“Is it fun to play this way? I think so. We have a lot of players with quality up front, like Eden Hazard and Pedro. Players like that want to play football.
“That’s why talked about ‘fun’ football. This is what we will try to do this season.”
Three goals and three points on the opening day! 🙌#HUDCHE pic.twitter.com/ud8nkkOfrr
— Chelsea FC (@ChelseaFC) August 11, 2018
The mood around the club certainly seems to be more optimistic than it was at times last year already and a player of Willian’s quality committing his immediate future to the team can only be a good thing as Sarri tries to implement his unique style of play.
Conte will be remembered more for the trophies he won than the dressing room discord he was associated with during his final months and now is the time for a new era to be ushered in at the club.
Chelsea takes on Arsenal on Saturday as the new Premier League season continues and supporters will hope that the team can continue to move forward in the right direction with another 3 points.