Antonio Conte Says He Considered Quitting Chelsea Before Signing New Contract

Chelsea manager Antonio Conte has revealed he considered leaving the Blues after the club's Premier League title-winning 2016/17 campaign left him drained.

Conte wanted to know Chelsea "were on board with his long-term vision for the club" before committing his future, according to John Cross of the Daily Mirror.

Cross also noted how Conte received enough assurances to finally move his family to London, but the depth in Chelsea's ranks still worried the Italian.

Rui Vieira/Associated Press

Conte talked up the importance of having his family close as he tries to push Chelsea to even greater heights, per Cross: "My family is very important. It will show my ­commitment with the club, with this project as I try to build something important."

The former Juventus boss signed on for two more years earlier this month, per Jeremy Wilson of the Daily Telegraph. Yet, as Wilson pointed out, Conte and Chelsea couldn't agree terms on an extended deal to run until 2021.

The 47-year-old Lecce native explained how he needed to feel his vision was in line with what the Blues want, per Cross: "Now I decided with the club to ­continue our path. I spoke with the club and we found the right view about the future. For every manager it is important to explain your idea. It's very important that the club understand your idea and are ready to work together, to try together and to have this solid foundation."

There had been rumours last month Conte would walk away from Stamford Bridge amid concerns over a lack of transfer activity, per Yahoo Sports (h/t Metro). Since then, Chelsea have signed centre-back Antonio Rudiger, holding midfielder Tiemoue Bakayoko and former Real Madrid striker Alvaro Morata, per BBC Sport.

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Conte's vision yielded a league title last season, Chelsea's second in three years. Despite the success, though, the onetime Bianconeri midfielder revealed how arduous he found his first campaign in England, per Cross: "I must be honest, last season was very tough, it was very strong for me and for my family. It wasn't easy for me because sometimes when you win you think that everything is easy but it wasn't to win and to have this type of season."

However, now it appears the ex-Italian national team chief is reinvigorated as he attempts to lead Chelsea to success in the UEFA Champions League. The Blues weren't in Europe's top-tier club competition last season but won it in 2011.

Ahead of facing new challenges, Conte feels more needs to be done, per Cross: "I repeat, now it's right to start to work together and it's very important to know that there is a lot of work to do."

A refreshed Conte sounds determined to build a squad capable of winning consistently on all fronts.