Former Chelsea stars divided over appointment of the new Jose Mourinho –welcome Antonio Conte"

THERE’S been a mixed reaction to confirmation that Antonio Conte will start his new role as Chelsea boss after the European Championship finals.

Chelsea chiefs believe they have recruited ‘one of the most highly regarded managers in world football’ (didn’t they say that about Jose Mourinho?) whilst others are not so convinced.

The 46-year-old former Juventus coach will begin a three-year contract after leading Italy to the European Championships in France.

Proud Italian Conte said that ‘only a role as attractive as manager of Chelsea’ could have lured him away from the national team.

Conte, who won the Serie A title in each of his three years as Juve boss, will become the FIFTH fifth Italian to manage Chelsea – following Gianluca Vialli, Claudio Ranieri, Carlo Ancelotti and Roberto di Matteo – and he will replace Guus Hiddink in the summer.

“We are very pleased to have recruited one of the most highly regarded managers in world football,” said club director Marina Granovskaia, as reported on the BBC Sport website – http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/35960848

“We are equally pleased to do so before the end of the current season. This aids our future planning.”

Whilst Chelsea view their latest managerial appointment as another major coup, others are not so convinced.

Not least former Blues striker Chris Sutton who thinks that bringing in a manager so similar to Jose Mourinho ‘makes no sense at all’.

Sutton believes retaining the services of Hiddink, who has again proved himself popular with players and fans alike, would have been the better option.

TV pundit Andy Townsend, a former Stamford Bridge star himself, believes Conte can have the same impact as Mourinho when he first arrived at the club.

Quoted on the BBC Sport website – http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/35965091 – Townsend said: “Jose captured the attention of the players when he arrived. I feel Conte will do the same.”

What do you think about Chelsea’s appointment of Conte? Let us know!