Football
ESPN staff 7y

Chelsea boss Antonio Conte admits he considered his options after first year

Antonio Conte has indicated that he considered leaving Chelsea despite winning the Premier League last season, saying his first year in England was "very tough" on a personal level.

Former Juventus boss Conte took charge at Stamford Bridge after overseeing Italy's Euro 2016 campaign, but his wife and nine-year-old daughter did not join him in England.

He eventually committed to a new contract this month -- improving the terms of the final two years of his deal -- but has acknowledged he was weighing up his options even after winning the title.

"After a tough season, it's very important always to look back, to see the season and then to understand very well," he said in the Mail on Sunday when asked if had considered his future in May.

"It was very important for me because it was my first season in England, a new country without my family, and it was important to understand my situation in all aspects, OK?

"For sure, I enjoyed the season in England and with Chelsea, but I must be honest, it was very tough for me and for my family. Sometimes when you win, you think that everything is easy, but it wasn't to win and to have this type of season."

His family will join him in England for the coming season, and he said: "To stay another season without the family would be very hard, very difficult.

"My daughter is at an age when it's very important to see her grow, to stay every day with her, and also with my wife, because she would be jealous for this. They are coming. My family is very important.

"I think it will show my commitment to the club, to this project and to try -- I repeat -- to build something important."

Chelsea have made some significant signings this month, with defender Antonio Rudiger, midfielder Tiemoue Bakayoko and striker Alvaro Morata joining, but the only arrivals when the transfer window opened on July 1 were backup goalkeeper Willy Caballero and youngster Ethan Ampadu, who joined from Exeter.

Manchester United beat Chelsea to the signing of Romelu Lukaku and, while Conte says he considers Morata to be "at the same level" as the Belgium international, he suggested he had been concerned by the club's lack of success in the market earlier in the summer.

Conte, who was reported to have left Juve in 2014 due to a lack of investment, said: "We found the right view about the future of this club.

"I repeat, we are a great club but we are in a moment where we can't make a mistake because it's very dangerous. We don't have a lot of space to make mistakes. We need to improve and increase our squad to be something important for the present, and also for our future."

He added: "For every manager it is important to explain your idea. It's very important that the club understand your idea and the club is ready also to work together, to try together, and to have this solid foundation. I can want this, but if I'm alone it's very difficult to do this."

Asked if that meant he had considered walking away, he replied: "For sure, my decision was always to stay with Chelsea and continue this work, but you know very well that our job is not simple and anything can happen during our path and our career.

"My desire, and the club's, was to continue this work and, for this reason I renew a contract. Now it's right to start to work together and it's very important to know that there's a lot of work to do."

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