Antonio Conte has insisted his main target is WINNING, and not keeping players at Chelsea happy.
Speaking ahead of Chelsea’s FA Cup tie with Wolverhampton Wanderers, the Italian boss stressed that he is at Stamford Bridge to win, not to mollycoddle players.
With players like Chelsea captain John Terry finding themselves on the fringe of selection, many have wondered how these players will react long-term under Conte’s reign, including Terry, with the 36-year-old’s contract expiring at the end of this season.
But Conte has made it clear that he aims to win at Chelsea, even if some players are unhappy within the dressing room.
“The FA Cup is a great competition. We want to go in this competition to try to fight until the end to try to win. Not to find a solution to make someone happy.
“It’s important to understand when you stay in a great team the most important thing, the target, is to win, not to try to have 21 players happy and you don’t win nothing.
“Because the owner doesn’t ask this, to make 21 players happy.
“I want to be happy, but I’m happy if we win. Not if we lose and to have 21 players happy.
“To be happy we go to the theatre, the cinema or to see a film. Now we stay to work very hard, to try to improve, to try to win.
“For me, I repeat, it’s important to work on different aspects to try to increase the potential of my players.”
Conte, meanwhile, insists there will be no discussions about a new contract for striker Diego Costa until the end of the season.
He said: “I think now it’s very important to be focused on the present and not to look so far forward.
“At the end of the season we will see the situation. I’m confident (he will stay).”
