Chelsea have officially confirmed that Antonio Conte has left the club after just two seasons in charge at Stamford Bridge.
The 48-year-old took charge in 2016 and led the Blues to the Premier League title in his first season in England as he immediately impressed with his tactics and touchline passion.
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However, Conte wasn’t able to replicate that success last year as Chelsea missed out on a top four finish in the Premier League, and will therefore be absent from the Champions League in the upcoming campaign.
There was another trophy though before his departure as he lifted the FA Cup in May after defeating Manchester United at Wembley, and so there will undoubtedly be happy memories for the Italian tactician to take away from his experience in west London.
“Chelsea Football Club and Antonio Conte have parted company,” the statement on the club’s site read. “During Antonio’s time at the club, we won our sixth league title and eighth FA Cup. In the title winning season, the club set a then-record 30 wins in a 38-game Premier League season, as well as a club-record 13 consecutive league victories.
“We wish Antonio every success in his future career.”
It remains to be seen what next step Conte opts to take in his managerial career, as after enjoying success at Juventus prior to taking the Italy national team job, he has now proved himself abroad with Chelsea and will surely be a man in demand in the coming months.
As noted by BBC Sport, there were issues along the way with Chelsea namely with reports over clashes with individuals in the dressing room and the hierarchy over transfers, and so perhaps it’s the best decision for both parties to split and go their separate ways.
Nevertheless, Conte certainly made his mark at Stamford Bridge, and it remains to be seen who the club now opt to replace him with as former Napoli boss Maurizio Sarri has been heavily tipped to take the reins, as per The Independent.