Chelsea have named Antonio Conte as their next head coach who will take over at Stamford Bridge following Italy’s participation at Euro 2016. Conte will be expected to make things right for the club after Chelsea’s disastrous 2015/16 campaign.
Upon his arrival Conte will face many challenges including the squad overhaul, Premier League fixture list and English media. However, the biggest task for him would be to ensure John Terry stays at the club next season.
At present, Terry is tipped to quit Chelsea in the summer after club’s decision to not offer him a new deal. If that happens, Conte would be walking at Stamford Bridge without any leader. As bad as it may sound but the current Chelsea squad has no one who can get hold of the squad in middle of a defeat and rally them on to get the positive result.
Trending: Antonio Conte’s Potential starting XI next season
That is why it is absolutely imperative for Antonio Conte to persuade Roman Abramovich in to offering John Terry at least a contract extension for next season. Being Conte’s first year with The Blues he would need a man of Terry’s experience and caliber to guide him through the initial steps of being the Chelsea manager.
Conte in the past has proven how he likes to trust in his experienced players. Back at Juventus he allowed Andrea Pirlo and Gigi Buffon to have a huge say at Turin and he always counted on them for big matches.
Terry commands a similar respect and love from his teammates at Chelsea and that is why it would be a wise move for Conte to stick with Terry at least for the next season. A player of Terry’s age will not be expected to play week-in-week-out, however, he will be relied to guide Chelsea in crucial games.
Trending: Antonio Conte’s Potential starting XI next season
Conte needs to be upfront with Terry and tell him that he will only play 15-18 matches next season but he needs him around to build a strong team and compete for top honors. Given the time Terry has spent at Chelsea and the love he has for the club, I do not see any reason why the skipper would turn down such an offer.
Conte needs to be wise in bringing new players at the club with both caliber and experience. Sooner or later, he needs a new captain and a leader at Chelsea because Terry will not stay forever.
However, holding on to John Terry will be the most important task for the new incoming Chelsea manager Antonio Conte.
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