Leonardo Bonucci expects Antonio Conte to bring his uncompromising style of management with him to Chelsea, but believes the former Italy coach will have an immediate impact at Stamford Bridge.
Conte took his first training session at Cobham on Wednesday, with Chelsea players reportedly anticipating the toughest preseason regime of their careers as the new manager attempts to turn the Blues into the fittest and most prepared team in the Premier League.
Bonucci admits that Conte is very demanding, but expects his former boss at Juventus and Italy to win the respect of his players and prove to be a "big success" in England.
"The players in the Italy team nicknamed him 'The Godfather,'" Bonucci is quoted as saying by the Daily Mirror. "That means when he talks, you listen. You do what he says and you don't argue. Players want to listen though."
Antonio Conte taking his first training session at Cobham earlier today... https://t.co/scDPq66eB2 pic.twitter.com/D5jqj2u6lh
- Chelsea FC (@ChelseaFC) July 13, 2016
Conte arrives at Chelsea with his managerial stock high, having guided a depleted and limited Italy squad to the quarterfinals of Euro 2016, and Bonucci believes the 46-year-old will achieve even more with greater resources.
"Nobody gave Italy much of a chance in France, and in the end we only got beaten on penalties by the world champions," the Juventus defender added. "Conte will be a big success in England, Chelsea are already a very good team, and he will have them challenging both in England and in Europe.
"He likes leaders, he likes big personalities, but he will not stand for players who think they are bigger than him. He is the boss, and if you listen to him and show him respect, you will see he is one of the best bosses in the game."
Conte's appointment as Chelsea first-team head coach enhances the formidable array of elite managerial talent in the Premier League, with the Italian expected to compete against Pep Guardiola, Jose Mourinho, Claudio Ranieri, Mauricio Pochettino, Jurgen Klopp and Arsene Wenger for the title next season.
Gianluca Zambrotta, who played alongside Conte for five years at Juventus, believes his former teammate is every bit the equal of Guardiola and Mourinho, and more than capable of adapting his style at Chelsea.
"I think the three of them have similar personalities and are more or less at the same level," Zambrotta told Sky Sports. "Antonio Conte has a great football mind and he's very dedicated. He's very professional and is an excellent motivator.
"I'm not sure if he will line up with three centre-backs. I have not had a chance to speak with him about how he will play but I am sure he will experiment a little bit and try something new."