Antonio Conte: 'Speculation will not affect Chelsea players'

By Daniel Lewis, Senior Reporter | 11 February 2018

Conte: 'Speculation will not affect squad'

Antonio Conte insists that talk regarding his future as Chelsea manager is having no affect on his players, having suffered successive three-goal defeats.

Chelsea manager Antonio Conte has insisted that the ongoing uncertainty regarding his future is something that his players are now "getting used to".

The 48-year-old has seen his position called into question regularly during a largely underwhelming campaign, particularly on the back of successive three-goal defeats.

Conte has stressed that he intends to see out the remaining 18 months of his existing deal at Stamford Bridge, however, and is adamant that the "speculation" will have no effect on his players ahead of Monday's meeting with West Bromwich Albion and beyond.

"Honestly I don't think talk about my future can affect the players," he told reporters at his weekly press conference. "Otherwise from the first game we lost against Burnley, it could happen.

"I think my players are getting used to these rumours, to this speculation, but for sure I am very happy with the commitment of my players, the behaviour of my players because they show me every day they want to overcome this situation.

"We are talking about a team that is fourth in the league [before the start of the weekend fixtures], is preparing to face the game against Barcelona, we are in the FA Cup competition and we reached the semi-final of the Carabao Cup."

Conte guided Chelsea to the Premier League title in his first season at the helm, doing so with a record number of victories.