After managing Juventus, Chelsea, Inter Milan and Tottenham Hotspur, Antonio Conte has got to work with some extremely talented players.
The above includes Eden Hazard, with the pair enjoying a successful time at Stamford Bridge together.
During their two years working with each other, Chelsea managed to win both the Premier League title and FA Cup. And Antonio Conte has now told The Telegraph in an interview that the Belgian is one of the best players he has ever coached.
It is some team Chelsea could have had in the 2017/18 campaign following their title triumph the season before.
Conte also revealed that the club spoke to Virgil van Dijk and Romelu Lukaku as the Italian tried to add them to a team that already possessed the likes of Hazard and Cesc Fabregas.
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Antonio Conte lauds Eden Hazard’s talent
Conte has admitted that he really pushed Hazard during his time working with him but only because he knew how much talent he had.
On the Chelsea legend, the former Blues boss said: “I think Hazard was one of the best players I ever had in my career as a coach.
“When there is a lot of talent, you have to push a bit more than other players who have less talent. It’s important to give a direction. This direction is not simple if you want to win. If you want to enjoy, it’s totally different. But I enjoy to win.”
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Eden Hazard, Virgil van Dijk and Romelu Lukaku would have got Chelsea top four in 2017/18
In Conte’s second and final season working with Hazard, Chelsea were able to win the FA Cup but finished fifth in the Premier League and missed out on Champions League qualification as a result.
After 38 games, they amassed 70 points, five less than Liverpool in fourth.
Had they managed to sign Van Dijk and Lukaku, who joined Liverpool and Manchester United respectively instead, Conte would have easily led the team to a top-four finish.
Not only would Chelsea have added two really good and experienced Premier League players to their team to line up alongside Hazard, but they also would have stopped two teams who finished in the Champions League spots from strengthening their own sides.
