Report: Antonio Conte to take Legal Action against Chelsea

What's the story?

Former Chelsea manager Antonio Conte is set to sue the club after they delayed his sacking until they were sure they would get Maurizio Sarri on board to replace him. The Italian boss is reportedly upset with the club because they took nearly two months to sack him after their final game of the season, according to The Times.

The 48-year-old coach is entitled to £9m for the final year of his contract but he is also demanding a compensation on top of the annual salary. The board is also looking to withhold the full payment due to his public criticism of the club in his final months as manager.

The last game he took charge of was Chelsea's 1-0 win over Manchester United in the FA Cup final in May. Although he had delivered the Blues another trophy, the Blues failed to qualify for the Champions League after finishing fifth, which eventually led to his dismissal.

In case you didn't know...

Conte's position at the helm of the Stamford Bridge club had been under threat since the turn of the year. As defending Premier League champions, Chelsea were well off the pace in the title race.

By the end of January, the Blues fell to fourth and never recovered. Six losses and two draws in their final 14 fixtures eventually saw them finish fifth - 30 points behind champions Manchester City.

Conte was unhappy with Nemanja Matic's sale to Manchester United

Conte had also not had his way with respect to transfers - especially with the sale of Nemanja Matic to Manchester United last summer - and that caused a lot of friction between him and the board.

Conte had expected the sack after the season ended but the club did not give him any indication that he was going to be removed as manager. The Italian was even asked to return to start preparations for the 2018/19 pre-season friendlies.

Heart of the Matter

Once Chelsea were able to reach an agreement with former Napoli boss Maurizio Sarri, the club' chairman Bruce Buck informed Conte that he was indeed being sacked - just four days into their pre-season preparations.

Maurizio Sarri took over just 24 hours after Conte was sacked

The delayed sacking left Conte without the opportunity to apply for some of the top jobs in Europe as a number of clubs and even national teams were looking for new managers.

Real Madrid had reportedly approached Conte when Zinedine Zidane stepped down while Italy were also looking for a new manager after Gian Piero Ventura was sacked. But because Conte was still a Chelsea manager, Real eventually signed Julen Lopetegui while the Italy job went to Roberto Mancini.

What's next?

There are unconfirmed reports that troubled Serie A club AC Milan are set to offer Conte a job but there is no credible source reporting it yet. Current coach Gennaro Gattuso had his contract extended to 2021 and the club is satisfied with his tenure so far.

Chelsea, meanwhile, are looking to retain Thibaut Courtois and Eden Hazard but both players could potentially leave the club this summer with Real Madrid in the running to sign both players.