Antonio Conte will look to wingers to restore Chelsea's lustre, says former team-mate Angelo Di Livio

The Italian is likely to be keen for Eden Hazard to stay at Stamford Bridge despite his recent struggles

Eden Hazard could be restored as the main man at Chelsea

Antonio Conte will look to his wide men to restore Chelsea ’s sheen after a ­season of misery for the ­deposed Champions.

All of which could make keeping Eden Hazard at Stamford Bridge priority number one for the Italian when he arrives in England after Euro 2016.

That’s the view of Angelo Di Livio, who knows the new Chelsea boss better than most having played alongside him for both Juventus and the Italian national team.

Hazard has had a miserable ­season after winning the 2015 PFA Player of the Year award.
He cut a disillusioned figure as Chelsea’s fortunes slid in the final days of Jose Mourinho’s second reign as boss and looked a shadow of the player who inspired the club to the Premier League title the previous season.

The 25-year-old’s only goals ­before April came in a Belgian shirt or in the FA Cup. The previous season he had netted 15 times as Chelsea romped to the title.
Hazard was expected to be one of the first players out of the door this summer.
But four goals in the club’s last five Premier League matches coupled with a general up-turn in form under Guus Hiddink have led to a reported U-turn by club and player.


Hazard is thought to be keen to work under the Italian – and Di Livio ­believes the way Conte sets up his teams could make Hazard indispensable.
“At the beginning of his career at Juve, he (Conte) told the media that he didn’t like to play out wide and that he didn’t have fun there,” says the former Italy star. “Marcello Lippi publicly scolded him and since that ­moment Conte ­embraced his new role despite not liking it.
“This says a lot about someone who now ­emphasises the importance of wide players in his teams.

Valerio Pennicino

Conte will start his new job in the next few weeks

“It’s a real lynchpin of his system. When you become a coach, you understand these things even better.”
Conte will begin his role at Stamford Bridge following the conclusion of the European Championships in France.

And working for Chelsea could prove some light relief after working with an Italy side which has been in decline since reaching the last European Championships final.

There are plenty of Azzurri ­supporters who could never look past Conte’s Juventus links.
But Di Livio said: “He is having double sessions of English. And despite having problems with most supporters in Italy because of his Juventus allegiance, I am sure that Italians will want him to do well.
“In a similar fashion to what is happening now with Claudio Ranieri at Leicester.”