Sports
Is Conte’s Chelsea Career Destined To End Like Mourinho’s?
Chelsea have been unable to match their title-winning form so far this season with injuries beginning to pile up and energy levels low
Chelsea cantered to the Premier League title last season, propelled to glory by a 13-game winning streak that left the rest reeling.
But the question was always lurking in the background: how well would they fare when European football was factored in? We now have the answer. Not very. That’s because the conditions for the victories last season cannot be replicated.
Conte alarmingly revealed on Friday that his squad are working up to 70 per cent less on the tactical and physical aspects in training due to the increased demands in the calendar. It is only natural that an on-field drop-off would follow.
“I have my methods,” Conte said in response to reports that the Chelsea squad were wearied by their current training schedules. “They’re the same as last season when we won the league.
“Honestly, I think we are working maybe 70 per cent less this season. Maybe for this reason we are having trouble. On tactical and physical aspects, [it’s] less.
“When you play every three days it’s impossible to work above all on the physical aspects. On the tactical aspects, you have to work less and pay less attention on every detail. We are doing this.
“I think that when you have to play four competitions, this is the path you must follow. But it’s normal. The problem is to play every game with the same players. That’s a big problem.”
A combination of factors has put Chelsea into their current downward spiral. Tomorrow’s game against Watford – one of the league’s biggest overachievers – will bring one more chance to arrest it.
But they are not themselves at the minute; not only in terms of personnel but also the football they are playing.
Chelsea’s waspish play last season served them well. They quite often out-ran and outlasted opponents from first minute to last. That kind of tempo seems beyond them currently and they suffered the indignity of seeing a 2-0 lead evaporate against Roma in midweek.
They were too standoffish, occasionally far too deep and not nearly dangerous enough to put the Italians away.
Worse, they have suffered three league losses already – to Burnley, Manchester City and Crystal Palace. That which was working last season is now malfunctioning.
Conte can’t keep his squad fit. Key members of his team are dropping like flies with muscular injuries. N’Golo Kante is the highest-profile absentee. Like Leicester before them, Chelsea simply don’t appear to be the same team without their one-man midfield.
He was missing for the Palace defeat, as he was for the midweek draw with Roma. Cesc Fabregas and David Luiz have tried their best to staunch the bleeding in that sector but to no great effect so far. He cannot come back quickly enough.
They have also had to do without Eden Hazard, injured at the end of last season on international duty with Belgium. He’s back now and scored twice midweek but he has yet to reach his consistent best. Against City, for example, he was nowhere to be found.
There are simply too many matches for Conte and his squad to negotiate this time around and the same kind of preparation is not working. Overall, though, Chelsea are still counting the cost of an uneven and negligent summer transfer campaign.
Diego Costa and Nemanja Matic were permitted to leave – two of their best performers in the title win – and have been replaced by Alvaro Morata and Tiemoue Bakayoko. Granted, those two are good replacements for the departed duo but Conte does not have anything like the squad depth he needs for the season ahead.
Davide Zappacosta has had to deputise for Victor Moses, who has also been struck down with injury. Danny Drinkwater has yet to feature for the Blues having been signed injured. Antonio Rudiger is doing plenty to impress the Stamford Bridge faithful when called upon and Conte must use him to keep the pressure off Gary Cahill and the overworked Cesar Azpilicueta.
In short, the team is no better and neither is the squad. With that lack of resources Chelsea are attempting to do something which is twice as hard as last season, namely stay in the upper reaches of the top flight and fight the good fight in Europe.
Last season, Conte managed to hold the lead in the title race from matchday 12 to 38. He’s already nine points off the pace set by Manchester City. It’s looking more likely that he could go the way of Claudio Ranieri at Leicester – sacked less than a year on from winning the title – or even Jose Mourinho at Chelsea. Mourinho failed to make Christmas after winning the title for Chelsea in May 2015.
Conte had a luxury denied to the rest of the competing coaches last term. He had a full week to prepare for most Premier League matches; no Champions League campaign getting in the way.
His players had as much rest as possible between games and very few of them suffered long absences through injury as a result.
The same approach is doomed to fail this time around because the conditions are not the same. For Conte’s sake, he better hope he’s not the last one to figure that out.
The Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) has confirmed the appointment of German tactician Bruno Labbadia as the new Head Coach of Nigeria’s Senior Men’s National Team, the Super Eagles.
This development was announced by the NFF General Secretary, Dr. Mohammed Sanusi, in the early hours of Tuesday, following the approval of the NFF Executive Committee based on a recommendation from its Technical and Development Sub-Committee. Labbadia’s appointment takes immediate effect.
Born on 8th February 1966 in Darmstadt, Germany, Labbadia enjoyed a distinguished playing career, earning two caps for the German national team. His club career included stints at prominent clubs such as Darmstadt 98, Hamburger SV, FC Kaiserslautern, Bayern Munich, FC Cologne, Werder Bremen, Arminia Bielefeld, and Karlsruher SC. Notably, he won the Bundesliga title with Bayern Munich in 1994.
Labbadia’s coaching career has seen him manage top-tier clubs such as Hertha Berlin, VfB Stuttgart, VfL Wolfsburg, Hamburger SV, and Bayer Leverkusen, among others. He holds a UEFA Pro License and is well-regarded for his tactical acumen.
With his appointment, Labbadia becomes the sixth German to lead the Super Eagles, following in the footsteps of Karl-Heinz Marotzke, Gottlieb Göller, Manfred Höner, Berti Vogts, and Gernot Rohr. Höner notably guided the Super Eagles to a runner-up finish at the 1988 Africa Cup of Nations, while Rohr qualified Nigeria for the 2018 FIFA World Cup in Russia.
Labbadia’s immediate task is to prepare the Super Eagles for their upcoming 2025 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) qualifying matches.
Nigeria will face Benin Republic on Saturday, 7th September in Uyo, and Rwanda on Tuesday, 10th September in Kigali. The team will also play four additional qualifying matches in October and November as they aim to secure a spot in the 2025 AFCON, scheduled to be held from December 21, 2025, to January 18, 2026.
The Super Eagles, placed in Group D, will face familiar foes Benin Republic, who recently defeated Nigeria in the 2026 World Cup qualifiers. The draw for the AFCON qualifiers, held in Johannesburg, South Africa, last month, also sees Nigeria taking on Libya and Rwanda, both of whom are also part of the Super Eagles’ group for the 2026 World Cup qualifiers set to be hosted in the USA, Canada, and Mexico.
Labbadia’s appointment comes at a crucial time as the Super Eagles look to regain their dominance on the African continent and secure qualification for both the AFCON and the World Cup.
Finidi George has stepped into a new role as the technical manager for NPFL side, Rivers United, following his resignation as coach of the Super Eagles.
During his brief tenure with the Eagles, George’s 1-1 draw against South Africa in Uyo and a 2-1 loss to Benin Republic in Abidjan cast doubts on Nigeria’s World Cup qualification, prompting calls from fans for his dismissal.
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Nevertheless, Rivers United, the 2021-22 champions, expressed optimism in a statement on Wednesday via their official handle about having the former Eagles international manage their team.
“Finidi brings a wealth of experience and expertise to our team, having had a distinguished playing career spanning over fifteen years,” the statement read.
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Dr. Okey Kpalukwu, General Manager of Rivers United FC, welcomed George, stating, “We are delighted to have Finidi George join our team. His appointment marks a new chapter in our club’s history, and we are committed to working together to achieve success.”
Expressing his gratitude to the club, an elated George remarked, “I am honored to have this opportunity, and I thank the Sports Commissioner, the General Manager, and the supporters for their confidence in me. I am committed to working hard and making the team win.”
Inter Milan were taken over by US fund Oaktree on Wednesday after the Serie A champions’ outgoing owners Suning missed a deadline to repay a debt worth hundred of millions of euros.
In a statement, Oaktree announced they had “assumed control” of Inter after the non-repayment of a “three-year loan to Inter Milan’s holding companies that matured on 21 May 2024 with a total balance due of approximately 395 million euros ($428 million)”.
Chinese conglomerate Suning have relinquished control of Inter to Oaktree three days after the team were officially crowned Italian champions for the 20th time.
Suning borrowed 275 million euros at over 12 percent interest three years ago to pay staff and players as the Covid-19 pandemic ravaged the finances of clubs across Europe, putting up their controlling stake in the club as collateral.
“Oaktree is dedicated to achieving the best outcome for the long-term prosperity of Inter Milan, with an initial focus on operational and financial stability for the Club and its stakeholders,” Oaktree continued.
Inter became a powerful force at home and abroad after Suning acquired the club in 2016, with seven trophies including two Serie A titles and two European finals.
Simone Inzaghi’s team cruised to this year’s championship, winning the Scudetto with five matches remaining by beating AC Milan in a thrilling local derby.
Oaktree, which manages $192 billion in assets, said they are “committed to working closely with Inter Milan’s current management team, partners, the league and governing bodies to ensure the Club is positioned for success on and off the pitch”.
Inter ended up in the hands of Oaktree in a manner similar to the way another US fund, Elliott Management, took control of their local rivals Milan in 2018.
Elliott became Milan’s owners when Chinese businessman Li Yonghong was unable to repay a loan he had taken out when he bought the club from the late Silvio Berlusconi’s Fininvest the previous year.
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