Antonio Conte tells worried Chelsea fans after the 2-0 friendly loss at Rapid Vienna: Don’t worry, be happy – we’ll be fine
New boss shrugs off their warm-up loss by vowing Blues will return from Austria in ideal shape for Premier League title bid
CHELSEA boss Antonio Conte wants to turn the fears into cheers at Stamford Bridge.
Blues struggled in a 2-0 defeat at Rapid Vienna — the Italian’s first game in charge.
But having analysed last season’s calamitous Premier League title defence, Conte is sure the club will be firing on all cylinders once the serious stuff starts next month.
He said: “I don’t like to see our fans unhappy, I also want to see our players happy, after they’ve won.
“I want us to return to England ready to compete for the title.”
In the Austrian capital on Saturday the Blues defence was shaky, while there was a distinct lack of quality in attack.
Conte, 46, will not push the panic button after just one game but has made it clear his team need to build a winning mentality now if they are to challenge for the title.
Since the former Juventus manager took charge last week, he has put his players through double training sessions every day.
And one player who will be getting the shock of his life is new £32million striker Michy Batshuayi.
The Belgium ace — signed from Marseille — only finished his season SEVENTEEN days ago but will walk into a gruelling Austrian boot camp and be expected to go full tilt from the off.
One source told SunSport: “Antonio is a bit of a contrast to cuddly uncle Guus Hiddink. Although Guus liked high intensity, Antonio takes it to a completely different level because it is non-stop.
“Michy and the rest of the players will have to adapt very fast. His plan is to make them not only the fittest team in the Premier League, but make them physically and mentally tougher than their rivals.”
The Blues finished tenth last season after a nightmare start which led to the dismissal of Jose Mourinho in December.
But Conte does not think his team have a mountain to climb to get back to their best.
One player ready for Conte’s fitness regime is N’Golo Kante, 25, who will join the team in the USA after completing his £30m transfer from champions Leicester.
The midfielder has a reputation for putting the miles in on the field and in training.
His former Boulogne team-mate Cedric Fabien, 34, told SunSport: “Off the field he was shy, withdrawn and quiet — but when he walked out on to the pitch he turned into a monster.
“I’ve never seen in my life someone run, run and run like he did — and he was so naturally fit I reckon he could have finished a match and then gone home and done a marathon and then probably have a kick-about with his friends!”
Chelsea play their second and final match in Austria against RZ Pellets on Wednesday.
They then jet home for a short break ahead of flying to the United States for 11 days for three International Champions Cup matches against Liverpool, Real Madrid and AC Milan.
