Antonio Conte's Chelsea Reign Could Last 'Forever,' Says Michael Emenalo

Chelsea technical director Michael Emenalo has said there's a chance manager Antonio Conte could remain at Stamford Bridge "forever" after making a terrific start to life in charge of the club. 

The Italian endured a rocky beginning in west London but has lifted the Blues five points clear at the Premier League summit, leading Emenalo to give the boss a rousing statement of support, per Sky Italia (h/t Simon Johnson of the London Evening Standard):

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There was never any risk. It was indicative of the kind of support Mr Abramovich has and Mr Conte has for the club and the board.

One of the first things I understood about Antonio is that difficult moments are moments to learn. We wanted to give him the freedom to speak in Italian, but we were very impressed that he wanted to communicate in English from the first day.

Everyone can see he is doing an absolutely sensational job, so I am not surprised that the fans and everybody loves him. We love him too. Personally, I think there’s an opportunity for him to stay forever. 

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Emenalo's advocacy for Conte has illustrated Chelsea's stark improvements compared to this time last year, when they sat 14th in the Premier League soon after Jose Mourinho's sacking in December 2015.

Chelsea hired Conte in July of last year after his commitments with Italy at UEFA Euro 2016 were complete, but Emenalo mentioned the club were tracking their man's movements since a meeting with his Juventus team in 2012-13:

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We played against them and I remember thinking his Juventus team was something very special. 

We had to be careful (when it came to offering him the job) and went through the process of waiting, as at the time he was the coach of the Italian national team, a nation that is passionate about football.

We were very respectful of the Italian national team and didn’t want to upset anyone. 

Once we decided that we needed to make a change and did a complete analysis of the handful of options, Conte was always top in our minds.

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It hasn't taken long for Conte to stamp his imprint at Stamford Bridge, putting a hugely successful three-man defence in place, with summer signing David Luiz leading as the crown of that most stubborn back line.

However, Kristof Terreur of Belgian newspaper Het Laatste Nieuws noted it is the former Juve and Italy coach's man-to-man skills and perhaps not his tactical nous that's led Conte to his perch atop the Premier League:

Emenalo's comments on the tactician are an encouraging show of faith in his ability, although he might be wise to remember Mourinho cantered to the 2014-15 Premier League crown before being sacked seven months later.

Like Mourinho, success has followed Conte almost everywhere he's gone in his coaching career, and he has appeared accustomed to dealing with the pressures of leading, per the Press Association:

Conte won three successive Scudetto crowns with Juventus before leaving for the Italy job in 2014, and he was also named Serie A coach of the year in those three seasons. He's already picking up English accolades, too, with two Premier League manager-of-the-month gongs to his name.

Chelsea will move eight points clear at the top of the Premier League if they defeat Tottenham Hotspur at White Hart Lane on Wednesday evening, and beIN Sports' Tancredi Palmeri has said Conte won't lose his lead:

At the very least, Chelsea's hierarchy seem pleased with the swift progress their chief has made in the position, and fans may yet see Conte reign supreme for years to come.