Why shouldn't Chelsea sack Conte yet?

Chelsea's crushing 1-4 defeat to Watford in the 26th round of the Premier League was their third loss in their last five matches across all competitions. As a consequence, the Stamford Bridge side were eliminated from the League Cup (losing to Arsenal) and dropped to fourth place in the Premier League table (19 points behind leaders Man City, and just one point ahead of fifth-placed Tottenham).

Coach Conte's time at Stamford Bridge is numbered. Photo: Internet

Given the dire situation and the intense conflicts with the Chelsea management, the day Coach Conte leaves Stamford Bridge seems closer than ever. Both The Blues and the Italian strategist have already considered and prepared for a separation. While Coach Conte awaits the dismissal decision from owner Abramovich, the Chelsea management has also been actively contacting candidates to replace him.

If Chelsea fail to achieve positive results in the next one or two matches, manager Conte will almost certainly be sacked. This is perfectly normal for a team that habitually changes managers mid-season like The Blues. However, if Chelsea decide to part ways with Conte prematurely, the consequences could be significant.

Coach Enrique has reached an agreement to manage Chelsea should Coach Conte be sacked. Photo: Internet.

First, there's the issue of contract termination compensation for the Italian strategist. According to the agreement between the two parties, the amount that Stamford Bridge must pay to Coach Conte in the event that Chelsea decides to sack him is £26.7 million.

In fact, in the past (only during Abramovich's era), Chelsea had to spend a lot of money to terminate the contracts of Mourinho (twice), Scolari, Villas-Boas, Di Matteo, and others…

Furthermore, sacking manager Conte at this time would put Chelsea in an even more dangerous situation. The competition for a top-four finish is fierce, and the Champions League is about to resume. A shake-up on the coaching bench would significantly impact the players' morale and the team's operational system (tactics). It could potentially plunge Chelsea even deeper into crisis.

According to reports from the English and Spanish press, Chelsea's management has reached an agreement with coach Enrique. The former Barcelona manager will take over the hot seat at Stamford Bridge as soon as coach Conte is sacked. While Enrique is undeniably talented, achieving immediate success in England is no easy feat. The Spanish strategist himself has experienced failure in Serie A (a less competitive league than the Premier League) as the coach of AS Roma.

In short, Chelsea's management should not sack manager Conte at this time, to avoid a situation where they lose money but still have the same problem.