Antonio Conte has stated that the loss of Nigerian Michael Emenalo was a big blow to the club.
Emenalo was relieved of his duties in November last year and has since joined AS Monaco as a sporting director, a blow which Conte says Chelsea are yet to recover from.
“To lose Michael, it was a big loss for us, yes,” said Conte
“I think so, I think so. Also because Michael did a great job for this club for many years. Last season, he helped me a lot during the season. This season, until he left, he helped me a lot. I remember very well he left just after the Manchester United game… For me, for sure, it was a big loss in November.”
As to whether a replacement will be sought for the Nigerian, Conte says he’s in the dark
“But this is not my decision. As you know very well, my task is to work very hard. This is not my decision. This is the decision for others. I’m not in a position to say (whether an expert in that field should be hired),”
Chelsea suffered a final day defeat to Newcastle United which cemented their place as a Europa League team for next season and almost surely means that Conte will be fired from his position as Chelsea coach.