Chelsea manager Antonio Conte SLAMS Gianluca Vialli over exit claims
Posted Saturday, April 07, 2018 by Express.co.uk
Antonio Conte has clashed with Gianluca Vialli over his latest quotes.
ANTONIO CONTE has hit back at Gianluca Vialli's claims that he can't wait to leave Chelsea at the end of this season.
The Chelsea manager insists he has not spoken to former Stamford Bridge boss Vialli for more than a year, and said: "People who know me know I am giving 120 per cent for this club. I have a contract here and I am working very hard."
Fellow former Juventus star Vialli, who managed Chelsea between 1998 and 2000, winning the European Cup Winners Cup, FA Cup and League Cup, declared this week that Conte "cannot wait to leave" this summer.
Conte, whose team face West Ham tomorrow, is widely expected to leave go a season of wrangles with the board and a disappointing campaign which now sees them eight points off Champions League qualification.
But the Chelsea chief said: "It is not true. Gianluca is a friend but I have not talked to him for a year.
"All season I have been listening to speculation about my future. Gianluca for many years has been a journalist.
"We played together at Juventus, we won the Champions League together. I consider him a friend. We went once to dinner last season.
"I can be disappointed, but I respect him because he is a journalist. He is doing his job. That is his opinion. It is not my opinion.
"People who are very close to me know my intentions – to stay here, continue my job here. This is the truth."
"They know that right now I am very angry, very sad about this situation. I am putting all of myself into changing this. When I go home I know that I am giving everything. Sometimes, it is very difficult to sleep."
Chelsea will tomorrow pay tribute to former captain and assistant manager Ray Wilkins, who died this week at the age of 61.
Conte said: "It was tragic news. We are talking about a really good person. I was lucky to know him. He was a legend for this club."
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