Former Chelsea manager Antonio Conte has revealed that he will not return to management until June.
Subsequently, the Blues will be forced to pay the Italian the final outstanding year of his contract with the club worth £11m.
He is currently locked in a £20m legal battle with Chelsea which includes him claiming £8m in damages to his reputation.
Conte: “My plan is to wait until June”
The 49-year-old has been speaking for the first time since his messy dismissal from Chelsea.
Conte insists that he is no rush to return to coaching with plans his plan to find a new club at the end of the season.
The West London club are now expected to pay him the full amount of the outstanding year of his contract.
Conte said:
- “I don’t feel the need to coach now.
- “My plan is to wait until June.
- “The problem now is that for a coach who is of my level it’s better to wait rather than to jump on a train already in motion.
- “Serie A is a great league and being in Italy is always attractive.
- “I would like to come home, but I won’t rule out a job abroad.”
Conte vs Sergio Ramos: The Italian hits back at “respect is won” comments
When linked with the Real Madrid job, Sergio Ramos fired a warning to Premier League-winning manager.
The Spaniard told Conte, “Respect is won, it’s not imposed.”
Conte has since hit back by explaining:
- “When a coach arrives at a team he must bring education and respect
- “This is something that he would also expect from the players.
- “When this goes wrong, the problems begin.
- “We Italian coaches have a great culture of work and when you join a new club you can’t change everything, you must try and do it very gradually.
- “Each coach must be a good tailor and adapt their beliefs to the human material that they have at their disposal.”
