“Zidane and Del Piero trained much harder” - Antonio Conte recalls harsh Chelsea training sessions that led to special request from John Terry

Napoli manager Antonio Conte has revealed that he listened to John Terry's request to ease up the intensity of training sessions at Chelsea. The Italian is regarded as one of the most successful managers in the modern era thanks to his success with multiple clubs.

Conte led Napoli to the Serie A title last season, having taken over at the club last summer following a dismal 2023-24 season. The Naples club, who finished tenth in 2023-24, won the Scudetto under Conte's guidance.

Conte is particularly known for his ruthless and uncompromising methods on the training ground. However, he has revealed that he kept then-Chelsea skipper John Terry's request to make his training sessions less intense.

Conte has also revealed he reverted to his usual training methods after the Blues lost their next two games. He also insisted that the likes of Zinedine Zidane and Alessandro Del Piero trained much harder than his Chelsea side that won the Premier League in 2016-17. The Italian told Corriere della Sera, as quoted by GOAL:

"One time, the Chelsea captain [Terry] came to me to ask to slow down the pace (of training), to do fewer video sessions. I agreed, mainly out of respect to their culture, their different way of approaching football. When you're in a different country, you have to be careful to not cause too much upset. Well, we lost two games in a row and I risked being sacked. Since then, I always think that if I have to 'die' as a result of the choices that have been made, I have to do it my way, and not in the hands of others. This is the way."

Conte added:

"'Trust the process' as they say in England. And when I think back to how tough training was, I smile. Zidane and Del Piero trained much harder. Today, we do about a third of what we used to do. The work has to be linked to the results on the pitch. I've coached teams where after a little while, the players themselves began to identify dangerous situations. For me, that means that we've achieved the right result."

Conte was in charge of Chelsea for just two seasons and won one Premier League and one FA Cup. He won the Serie A title thrice with Juventus, once with Inter Milan and once with Napoli.

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Chelsea could be set to receive £8 million if Liverpool sign target for £40 million: Reports

Chelsea could reportedly be set for an £8 million windfall if Liverpool secure the signature of Marc Guehi for £40 million. As per SPORTbible, The Blues have a 20% sell-on clause on the defender whom they sold to Crystal Palace for £18 million in 2021.

Liverpool have been pretty busy in the early phases of the transfer window, having already signed Jeremie Frimpong and Florian Wirtz from Bayer Leverkusen. They are also reportedly set to sign Milos Kerkez from Bournemouth.

Meanwhile, they have already sold Caoimhin Kelleher to Brentford and Jarell Quansah looks set to join Bayer Leverkusen. It has been reported that the Reds are looking to sign Crystal Palace skipper Guehi to replace Quansah and bolster their defensive options.

Guehi has been a player in demand in recent months and has been linked with clubs like Tottenham Hotspur, Newcastle United and also his former club Chelsea. With his deal expiring in 2026, Liverpool are reportedly looking to snap him up for £40 million.

If the Reds secure the deal, the Blues will receive £8 million as a sell-on fee which could boost their transfer budget. Guehi came through Chelsea's youth ranks and made just two senior appearances for the Blues.

The 24-year-old has been brilliant for Crystal Palace since joining them in 2021 and led them to FA Cup success last season. He has made 155 appearances for the Eagles so far and has also been capped 23 times for England.