Rosh Hashannah
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- Sep 13, 2017
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Antonio Conte at feud with Marina Granovskaia: they communicate through Carlo Cudicini
39 minutes ago Times
Antonio Conte’s relationship with Chelsea’s key transfer negotiator Marina Granovskaia has become so fraught during this window that they often resort to communicating through Carlo Cudicini, one of the Italian’s assistant coaches. The Chelsea head coach aimed a barb at his employers after Wednesday’s Carabao Cup semi-final defeat by Arsenal, claiming that they were responsible for “every single player” signed since the summer, and his relationship with many of the club’s executives appears increasingly fractious.
Conte has had a difficult relationship with Granovskaia throughout his time at Stamford Bridge due to her penchant for driving a hard bargain and demanding value in the transfer market, instructions that come from the owner Roman Abramovich. The pair have clashed over a number of transfers, with Conte understood to have been particularly unhappy with the way that she handled unsuccessful negotiations to sign Leonardo Bonucci and Fernando Llorente last summer.
The situation has worsened since the sudden departure of Michael Emenalo to Monaco in November, as the technical director acted as a buffer between them. That role is now increasingly falling to Cudicini, who is being used as a sounding board by both parties as well as relaying information between them. The former Chelsea goalkeeper is an unusual figure at Stamford Bridge in that he is almost universally popular, being a trusted member of Conte’s coaching staff as well as having the ear of Granovskaia and Abramovich.
Chelsea expect Conte to calm down after deadline day on Wednesday and refocus on football, as he has done after previous transfer windows, but there is a growing expectation that he will leave at the end of the season despite his contract running until the summer of 2019.
39 minutes ago Times
Antonio Conte’s relationship with Chelsea’s key transfer negotiator Marina Granovskaia has become so fraught during this window that they often resort to communicating through Carlo Cudicini, one of the Italian’s assistant coaches. The Chelsea head coach aimed a barb at his employers after Wednesday’s Carabao Cup semi-final defeat by Arsenal, claiming that they were responsible for “every single player” signed since the summer, and his relationship with many of the club’s executives appears increasingly fractious.
Conte has had a difficult relationship with Granovskaia throughout his time at Stamford Bridge due to her penchant for driving a hard bargain and demanding value in the transfer market, instructions that come from the owner Roman Abramovich. The pair have clashed over a number of transfers, with Conte understood to have been particularly unhappy with the way that she handled unsuccessful negotiations to sign Leonardo Bonucci and Fernando Llorente last summer.
The situation has worsened since the sudden departure of Michael Emenalo to Monaco in November, as the technical director acted as a buffer between them. That role is now increasingly falling to Cudicini, who is being used as a sounding board by both parties as well as relaying information between them. The former Chelsea goalkeeper is an unusual figure at Stamford Bridge in that he is almost universally popular, being a trusted member of Conte’s coaching staff as well as having the ear of Granovskaia and Abramovich.
Chelsea expect Conte to calm down after deadline day on Wednesday and refocus on football, as he has done after previous transfer windows, but there is a growing expectation that he will leave at the end of the season despite his contract running until the summer of 2019.