Antonio Conte has reportedly agreed to terminate his contract with Chelsea, freeing him up for Real Madrid, but he may meet some resistance from a former player.
Conte was sacked by Chelsea in July but remained tied to Chelsea, with one report suggesting it would cost €10.8m to release the Coach from his contract.
However, Sport Mediaset assures that the 49-year-old reached a settlement with the Blues at a court in London on Friday morning, per football-italia.net
The broadcaster adds the former Juventus and Italy boss has struck a ‘verbal agreement’ with Madrid to replace Julen Lopetegui, who could be sacked if Los Blancos lose the Clasico to Barcelona on Sunday.
Conte would have also ‘won the resistance of the dressing room’, which had been led by captain Sergio Ramos and former Chelsea goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois.
Meanwhile, Spanish media outlet El Pais quoted former Chelsea goalkeeper Courtois expressing his displeasure with the possibility of working with the Italian.
“I cannot believe it. Here I am the only one who has worked with Conte and with Mourinho. I left London to not have to go through something like that again and now it turns out that Conte comes, and if not, Mourinho,” the Belgian goalkeeper told teammates.
Whilst Real Madrid are close to the sack of one and appointment of another Manager, Spanish sources are convinced Conte isn’t club President Florentino Perez’s has a preferred candidate.
Per Guillem Balague, ‘The admiration Florentino Perez has for Jose Mourinho knows no bounds. He wants him back at the Club.’
Real Madrid go up against La Liga leaders, Barcelona at Camp Nou on Sunday in the first El Clasico of the season.
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