Antonio Conte has been announced as the new head coach of defending Premier League champions Chelsea. The Italian coach will be taking over the London side after the Euro 2016 in France, later this year.
Conte is currently the manager of the Italy national football team.
"I am very excited about the prospect of working at Chelsea Football Club. I am proud to be the coach of the national team of my country and only a role as attractive as manager of Chelsea could follow that," Conte, who signed a three-year contract at Stamford Bridge Monday told his new club's website.
"I am looking forward to meeting everyone at the club and the day-to-day challenge of competing in the Premier League. Chelsea and English football are watched wherever you go, the fans are passionate and my ambition is to have more success to follow the victories I enjoyed in Italy.
"I am happy we have made the announcement now so everything is clear and we can end the speculation. I will continue to focus on my job with the Italian national team and will reserve speaking about Chelsea again until after the Euros," he added.
Midway in the current season, Guus Hiddink was announced as the interim coach of the Premier League side after the club parted ways with Jose Mourinho following a string of poor results. The likes of Massimiliano Allegri and Diego Simeone were also linked with the Chelsea job along with Conte to take over the side in the summer, but it is the former Juventus manager they have zeroed in on now.
"We are very pleased to have recruited one of the most highly regarded managers in world football and we are equally pleased to do so before the end of the current season. This aids our future planning," Chelsea Director Marina Granovskaia stated.
"I would also like to take this opportunity to thank Guus Hiddink, who has done a great job since he joined us in December."
Conte, meanwhile has also reportedly told the Chelsea officials that he would bring in his long-time assistants, Angelo Alessio and Massimo Carrera as well as scouts Mauro Sandreani and Gianluca Conte to the Stamford Bridge.
The 46-year-old Juventus legend was roped in as the Italy head coach after the Azzurri made a shocking group exit from the FIFA World Cup 2014. During his time as the manager of Juventus, Conte inspired the Turin giants to three back-to-back Series A titles between 2011 and 2014.
As a player, he had won five Serie A titles with the Old Lady.
