Aug 13, 2018
Willian: 'No chance' I'd stay at Chelsea if Conte remained
Chelsea and Brazil winger Willian says his summer would have been very different had Antonio Conte not departed Stamford Bridge. When asked by the Evening Standard if he would have remained with the Blues had the Italian stayed on for a third season, Willian was blunt: "No chance."
TSN.ca Staff
Chelsea and Brazil winger Willian says his summer would have been very different had Antonio Conte not departed Stamford Bridge after last season's sixth-place finish.
When asked by the Evening Standard if he would have remained with the Blues had the Italian stayed on for a third season, Willian was blunt: "No chance."
"I’m here because I want to play for Chelsea," the 30-year-old Sao Paulo native said. "I will only leave if Chelsea want me to go."
Now in his sixth season at Chelsea after coming over from Russian side Anzhi Makhachkala, Willian started in the club's 3-0 victory over Huddersfield to open the season on Saturday.
Though he was attached with moves to Manchester United and Barcelona over the last several weeks, Willian says he's excited to play under new boss Maurizio Sarri.
“I think we have a good chance to turn the results around against them because now we have a different way to play football,” Willian said. “The manager tells us to play, to enjoy ourselves on the pitch, with responsibility. Now we have a different style, that’s why we can create problems for Arsenal (their next opponents)."
In 238 appearances in all competitions for Chelsea, Willian has scored 44 times and won two Premier League titles.