Conte eager to set the ball rolling at Chelsea

Antonio Conte says he was “born with pressure” and will remain unfazed by the challenge of leading Chelsea as they seek to recover from a “bad season”.

Former Italy boss Conte, speaking English well, expressed his pride and excitement at what awaits with the Blues as he unveiled by the club at a press conference on Thursday.

He also acknowledged the challenge ahead at a club which won the 2014-15 Premier League title, but finished a lowly 10th last term.

“The pressure for me is not important,” Conte added.

“I was born with pressure. It’s normal.

“When you are a player, a footballer, or a manager of a great club like Chelsea you must play to win the title or to fight at the end to compete with the other teams, to win the title, to reach your targets.

“I know this league is very, very difficult, because there are six, seven teams that can win the title.

“We know that this year it won’t be easy for us because if we think the last season 10th position, last season was a bad season. We know. Me, the players, the club.

“But I think we must think to the present, to work very hard every day, every week, every month, to build something important for the club.

“The fans need to find a team ready to fight until the end to compete with the other teams.

“There is only one team to win the title, but we must stay there till the end of the season.

“Chelsea belongs to Champions League and we must stay there.”

Conte was speaking in the Harris Suite at Stamford Bridge after his second day of training with Chelsea’s first team squad and 12 days after Italy exited Euro 2016 on penalties against Germany.

“In these two days I saw the players with the right attitude, with the right behaviour, with a great will to fight for this shirt, to fight to go back very soon to compete for the best position, to compete to win the title,” Conte added.

“The best important message is that I’m a worker. I like to work. I know only this road, to win.

“I know only this: work, work and work. I’m very happy because I found a right attitude in Cobham (Chelsea’s Surrey training base).”

Conte, who won three Serie A titles with Juventus, wanted to return to club football “to breathe the grass, to stay with my players, to improve them”.

He added: “I have passion and I want to transfer my passion to my players, also to my fans. I suffer during the game and I want my players to see this.”

Conte joins Jose Mourinho, Pep Guardiola, Jurgen Klopp, Arsene Wenger, Mauricio Pochettino and Claudio Ranieri as a Premier League boss.

He said: “I’m very happy to compete with them, but in this tournament it’s not a challenge between managers, between great teams, between great players, this is the most important things.”

He plans to call former Chelsea boss Ranieri, who led Leicester to a surprise title success last term.

“I will call Claudio Ranieri, first and foremost because he’s a lovely man, and I will ask him a bit of advice,” he said.

As for the team’s formation, Conte did not reveal his plans, but used a tailor metaphor.

“You must build the best dress for the team and respect their characteristics,” he added