It’s the start of a new era for Chelsea Football Club as former Italy and Juventus manager Antonio Conte will take the reigns for the first time this weekend in the club’s first preseason game.
Chelsea fans will be excited for the upcoming season after the Italian’s touchline antics at Euro 2016 which saw him jump onto the dug-out after Graziano Pelle’s goal against Spain in the Round of 16 and booting the ball away after Emanuele Giaccherini miss controlled his touch in the same game.
Conte and his side will travel to Austria to face Rapid Vienna in the recently opened Allianz Stadion, as they look to get off to a good start and maintain a winning mentality going into the new Premier League season.
Last year’s campaign will be one that Chelsea players and fans alike will want to erase from their memory as soon as possible after the club finished tenth in the league in what was billed as their title defense campaign. There was a divide between fans after famed manager Jose Mourinho’s sacking in December, but Conte spells a new era of hope for the London club.
Match Details:
Saturday, 16th July 2016 | KO: 17:00 (UK time) | Chelsea TV
Team News:
All players who competed in the latter stages of Euro 2016 & Copa America Centenario will not feature this weekend. Youth players and the majority of returning loan players have been training with the under-21’s so may not travel with the first team on Friday.
Potential XIs:
3-3-4: Begovic/Blackman; Ivanovic, Terry, Djilobodji; Matic, Loftus-Cheek, Van Ginkel; Willian, Costa, Remy, Baba
3-4-3: Begovic/Blackman; Hector, Miazga, Djilobodji; Aina, Chalobah, Oscar, Baba; Moses, Traore, Kenedy
4-2-4: Begovic/Blackman; Aina, Miazga, Terry, Baba; Oscar, Matic; Willian, Remy, Traore, Moses
4-3-3: Begovic/Blackman; Ivanovic, Hector, Terry, Aina; Chalobah, Loftus-Cheek, Van Ginkel; Kenedy, Remy, Willian
Prediction:
Rapid Vienna 1-3 Chelsea