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Eden Hazard hails 'fantastic' Antonio Conte and reveals 'privilege' of working under Chelsea boss

The Blues sit atop the Premier League, 10 points clear with 11 games to go, a year removed from hitherto the worst title defence in history under Jose Mourinho

Ben Burrows
Monday 13 March 2017 12:00 GMT
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Eden Hazard believes Antonio Conte has made the difference for Chelsea
Eden Hazard believes Antonio Conte has made the difference for Chelsea

Eden Hazard reveals it’s a privilege to work under Antonio Conte and believes the only way is up for table-topping Chelsea with the irrepressible Italian.

The Blues sit atop the Premier League, 10 points clear with 11 games to go, a year removed from hitherto the worst title defence in history under Jose Mourinho.

The 26-year-old was singled out for his poor performances then but has returned renewed this time around and has been central – both literally and figuratively – as the Blues look on course to win a league and cup double.

And Hazard says Conte’s arrival last summer has been the biggest difference between last season and this.

“Fantastic manager. He gives the spirit to the team,” he told the Daily Telegraph. “Of course, we have worked a lot and hard. But if that’s the key to winning games, we will work hard.

“For me, it is a privilege to play with this manager, and I hope we can achieve something together.

“Sometimes in the dressing room he says some words just to you, personally, and then you think ‘Yes, it’s true’. So you have to do something in the game.

“Like, for example, against West Ham I missed two [training] sessions during the week, and he told me: ‘OK, this week you didn’t run, but on the pitch, do something.’

“And I scored, so he was happy. Sometimes some words can make the difference.”

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