Chelsea started the Premier League managers’ tribunal for the £9m compensation package for former manager Antonio Conte.
Italian tactician Conte was sacked as the Chelsea manager last summer with one year left on his then contract at the club.
The former Juventus and Italian national team manager wants Chelsea to pay a full compensation that will cover the salary for the final one year of his contract with the Blues.
Antonio Conte is asking for a £9m compensation package but Chelsea are not willing to meet his demands.
The Blues will counter the demands of their former manager by using his conduct in his final year at the club against him.
Chelsea will use his much publicised feud with Brazilian-born Spanish international Diego Costa to fight him.
Antonio Conte and Diego Costa had a public fallout before the former sealed a £57m transfer to Spanish La Liga club Atletico Madrid at the start of last year.
The Italian manager sacked Diego Costa from his Chelsea team by sending him a text message.
Conte also had issues with Brazilian centre back David Luiz who was frozen out of the first team.
David Luiz has since been reinstated into the Chelsea first team following the appointment of Maurizio Sarri as the Blues manager last summer.
