Antonio Conte admits he has found adapting to life in England difficult but hopes to continue pursuing his managerial career outside Italy, with his commitment to his role at Chelsea demonstrated by the intention to move his family to London in time for the start of next season.
Conte takes his dominant league leaders to West Ham United on Monday night having made a staggering impression over his eight months in charge at Stamford Bridge.
Chelsea have lost once in 20 games in all competitions since they were beaten in the League Cup at the London Stadium in October, and have dropped only 15 league points all season. There have been strong suggestions in Italy that Internazionale, under the ownership of Suning Holdings group, could try to tempt him in the summer but, having spent all his playing days in Serie A, the 47-year-old appears more inclined to further his career abroad.
That is likely to lead to him extending his three-year contract at Chelsea beyond 2019, with talks expected before the end of the campaign, and his wife, Elisabetta, and young daughter, Vittoria, to join him in London over the summer, once the former has finished a university course.
“This is my first season away, in a new country, with a new language and new habits, and it’s totally different from my past,” said Conte. “For sure, arriving here was not easy. I started work two days after finishing the European Championships with Italy and to arrive at a new club, with new players, and try to bring my ideas and to change something in the habits of my players … well, it’s not easy.
“But now, after seven months, I can tell I’m very happy of my experiences so far with Chelsea, and it’s really good if I [compare things to] the start of the season. To have this relationship with the club, with my players, is good. I’m sure we can improve a lot in the future.
“If you ask me if my family is missing me, honestly, I have to say yes, they are. It’s not easy to stay alone, and live this experience with my family still in Italy, either. But I hope to live this experience with my family next season.”
Conte, who once came close to joining Manchester United as a player, denied any knowledge of an approach from Inter but suggested he would be reluctant to return to Serie A. “In my mind there is the will to find different experiences in different countries,” he added. “It’s fantastic to find these experiences. When I was a footballer, I played for only two teams: Lecce and Juventus. But, honestly, in my career I wanted to go and play in different countries. Now I am having this great experience in England, in an amazing league. For me, this is great.”
