It was an excruciatingly long goodbye for Antonio Conte at Chelsea. The Italian was sacked only last week, just four days after taking charge of Chelsea's preseason, despite the Blues protracted courting of Napoli's Maurizio Sarri.
The whole affair will leave a sour taste in the mouth for all parties, and Conte is set to take his former employers to court according to The Times. According to the report, Conte will claim that he deserves to be compensated for loss of future income and the damage to his career caused by the club’s delay in sacking him.
There had been a deterioration between Conte and the club that stems back to last summer's transfer window, when the former Italy coach bemoaned his club's lack of signings.
That Conte's dismissal was so prolonged means that the 48-year-old missed out on a whole host of jobs including the once vacant positions at Real Madrid, PSG and the Italian national team.
On the other hand Chelsea have threatened to withhold payment of the final year of Conte's contract, which is valued around £9 million. The club will cite the manager's alleged irregular conduct, as well as repeated public criticism of his employers as a reason for reneging on the deal.
Meanwhile new boss Maurizio Sarri, is closing in on his second signing of the summer, having brought midfielder Jorginho from Napoli. The Italian is set to prise 23-year-old Daniele Rugano from Juventus for a reported £40 million.
