ANTONIO CONTE has admitted for the first time he might not be Chelsea manager next season.
The Blues take on Tottenham in a must-win clash at Stamford Bridge with the team five points behind their visitors in the race to finish fourth.
Defeat would all but end any hope of Chelsea securing Champions League football for next season.
Asked if he believed he would still be manager if the club failed to qualify, he said: “I must be honest, I don’t know.
“This is not my problem. It’s a problem for the club.
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“For us managers it’s not sure. You can have a contract but you don’t know what will happen after one or two games. We depend a lot on the results.”
Owner Roman Abramovich is not known for backing his managers who fail.
But one man who does want Conte to stay is Italian right-back Davide Zappacosta, 25, who was signed by his countryman in the summer from Torino.
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And he believes Conte wants to turn things around next season.
He said: “The coach is really important, he always tries to work in the best way for the team.
“Since the start of the year, he is working in a really good way for Chelsea and he is preparing this part of the season.
“He is focused on Chelsea and his objective is to keep on winning with Chelsea.
“Antonio is a good coach because he is a football teacher and he makes you play in a good way.
“He gives you advice to make sure you are in exactly the right way on the pitch. He is able to give you the strength of character, to build your confidence.”
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