Antonio Conte Agrees to New 2-Year Contract with Chelsea

Chelsea manager Antonio Conte has agreed a new two-year contract at Stamford Bridge.

News of the deal came on Tuesday, as the club announced the deal via their official website. In a reaction, the Italian said:

"I am very happy to have signed a new contract with Chelsea. We worked extremely hard in our first year to achieve something amazing, which I am very proud of. Now we must work even harder to stay at the top.  

"The Chelsea fans have given me so much support since I arrived here one year ago and it is important we continue to succeed together."

It's an announcement that'll delight Blues supporters as Conte has become an instant hero in west London, clinching the Premier League title in his debut term.

The new deal will also put an end to any lingering speculation over the manager's future at the football club. As noted by Sam Wallace of the Daily Telegraph, there have been suggestions in Italy that Inter Milan were keen to appoint Conte as their new boss.

Given Conte arrived in the Premier League in the same summer as Pep Guardiola, there wasn't too much fanfare surrounding his appointment. But the Italian has built an impeccable Chelsea side.

As these numbers from Squawka Football show, the Italian is a proven winner as a coach:

Indeed, the Blues finished the Premier League season with a whopping 93 points on the board, a haul that has only been bettered by Jose Mourinho's Blues side in 2005, when they accumulated 95.

What makes their glorious campaign all the more remarkable is how far Conte has taken Chelsea. In 2015-16, the team were bereft of confidence under Mourinho and then Guus Hiddink, while there were also times early in 2016-17, especially in a 3-0 loss to Arsenal, when the Blues looked in need of an overhaul.

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Conte tweaked the system to 3-4-3 following that embarrassment at the Emirates, and the Blues have gone from strength to strength since.

The challenge for Conte will be preserving these standards. Next season he will have to remotivate players and will also have to cope with the rigours of European football, with Chelsea back in the UEFA Champions League. During his time with Juventus, it's not a competition in which he fared particularly well.

For now, Chelsea supporters can revel in the news their coach is staying for a while yet, though, and they will be hopeful Conte can build something at Stamford Bridge. After the dark days of the 2015-16 season, Conte has been a refreshing presence on the sidelines and a galvanising influence for his players.