Antonio Conte was unveiled as Chelsea manager on Thursday afternoon and, despite his broken English, one thing was loud and clear – this guy is likeable.
It’s a trait that hasn’t so easily been associated with Chelsea in the recent past – the levels of schadenfreude went through the roof as they and boss Jose Mourinho imploded into chaos last season – but things might just be about to change if Conte’s first press conference was anything to go by.
The 46-year-old Italian began by apologising for his English – it was still pretty good – and his humility shone through further when he was asked the obligatory question for a new Blues boss – ie) was he the new Special One?
Conte was a hit at the recent Euro 2016 – where his passion off the pitch was matched by his ability to get the most out of Italy’s squad – but this first meeting revealed a more relaxed side as he spoke enthusiastically about the prospect of testing himself in the Premier League.
The fact his English was not perfect – he revealed he is studying it at the moment – probably only made it easier to like him.
