Chelsea report: Antonio Conte ready for shock return, following reunion offer

Former Chelsea manager Antonio Conte has offered himself back to the Blues in a sensational return to the Bridge

Posted Thursday, May 02, 2024 by fourfourtwo.com

Chelsea could be about to re-appoint Antonio Conte as manager at Stamford Bridge, six years after his explosive exit from the club.

The Italian took over in west London in 2016, guiding the Blues to a title in his first campaign before the FA Cup a year later. Failure to qualify for the Champions League in his sophomore season resulted in an acrimonious exit from the capital, before he returned in 2021 to manage Tottenham Hotspur.

In between, Conte led Inter Milan to a Scudetto in his home country but has been out of work since last year, when he tore his Spurs side apart in a press conference following an incredible collapse away to Southampton.

Now, CalcioMercato.it via Sport Witness has reported that the 54-year-old has offered himself to his former side.

There's no news on whether or not new Chelsea chairman Todd Boehly will accept the offer from Conte, with the Leccerian an abrasive change from the mild-mannered Mauricio Pochettino, who currently sits in the dugout.

In FourFourTwo's opinion, however, Pochettino may well be on borrowed time after a tough first term and given that the former Tottenham boss isn't particularly loved by Blues fans – ironically for his Lilywhites connection – this might be the perfect man to recruit as his successor.

Conte is still beloved at Stamford Bridge, given his haul of a trophy a year in his short time in charge. Fans would no doubt welcome his second coming, despite managing Tottenham in between, and with the west Londoners struggling right now, there's a parallel with the situation Conte inherited.

The two-time European champions had finished midtable in 2015/16 when Leicester City took their crown as Premier League winners, only for Conte to take Chelsea back to the summit at the first time of asking. He is still one of only three bosses – along with Jurgen Klopp and Jose Mourinho – to have beaten Pep Guardiola to a domestic title.