Next Chelsea manager: Jorge Sampaoli claims lack of English cost him the job

Antonio Conte has confirmed he will step down from the Italy job after Euro 2016

Chile manager Jorge Sampaoli oversaw five wins from six during the World Cup qualifying stage (Getty Images)

Former Chile boss Jorge Sampaoli has claimed that he only lost out on the Chelsea job because his English wasn't good enough.

The 56-year-old claimed in a radio interview that he was Roman Abramovich's first-choice ahead of Antonio Conte, who is widely expected to take the job in the summer.

Italy manager Conte is widely expected to take over at Stamford Bridge in the summer following Euro 2016 - the Italian FA's president Carlo Tavecchio has already confirmed he will leave the post after the tournament.

However, speaking in an interview in his native Argentina, Sampaoli claims that he was ahead of Conte in the pecking order but lost out to Conte as he is unable to speak English.

“I had a meeting with Chelsea’s owner and he told me that I was the first option,” he told Radio Vorterix.

“I was about to be their new coach. But then Conte appeared and it became a competition between us.

“It was him or me. I needed some time in order to improve my English but this kind of club doesn’t give you that time.”

Sampaoli left Chile in January claiming he the Football Federation had not shown him enough respect.

The manager had ledt the nation to their first ever international tournament at the Copa America last summer.