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Chelsea news: Antonio Conte addresses huge ‘unprofessional’ claim from Roy Keane
CHELSEA boss Antonio Conte has addressed Roy Keane’s claim that his side have been “unprofessional” this season.
Antonio Conte does not doubt his players' commitment
Chelsea face a make-or-break few weeks with the first leg of their last-16 Champions League tie against Barcelona, with Premier League clashes against Manchester United and Manchester City to follow.
Europe’s elite competition and the FA Cup represent the Blues’ best chance of success this season with their title defence folding spectacularly.
Conte came under increasing scrutiny over his position in the wake of back-to-back defeats in the league against Bournemouth and Watford.
The Italian tactician has cut a disconsolate figure on the touchline and has expressed his frustration on a number of occasions about the club’s transfer policy.
Antonio Conte hits back at Jose Mourinho jibe
After Keane labelled the Blues stars “unprofessional” and suggested they had “downed tools under different managers”, Conte took exception, although he stopped short of calling out the ITV pundit.
When questioned about Keane’s comments, Conte said: “No, no. As you know very well, in every moment I have underlined the commitment of the players.
“I think that, in these 18 months, we built a great mentality.
“In every training session I see great commitment and great behaviour.
Roy Keane claimed the Chelsea stars have been 'unprofessional' this season
"Under this aspect, I'm very happy.”
Meanwhile, Conte’s press conference ahead of the FA Cup tie against Hull tomorrow night (8pm) was hijacked by an Italian journalist.
The prankster held up a Manchester United shirt signed by Jose Mourinho which had ‘Antonio Conte 1’ on the back.
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