London: Antonio Conte threw so many objects through the air in the dressing room at Juventus that it became known as Cape Canaveral.
The new Chelsea manager has been described by Andrea Pirlo as “a beast with two wives” — his own and football — while his many nicknames have included The Godfather and Martello (The Hammer).
At Euro 2016 his behaviour on the touchline was frequently more absorbing than his Italy team.
He is driven by an obsession to win, taking no prisoners along the way.
The 10th appointment of Roman Abramovich’s reign could not be more timely after Chelsea’s debacle last season.
Conte intends to drag the club by their shirt collar and prove that campaign was a trick of the -imagination.
Yet while his track record demands respect, from winning five titles and the Champions League as a player to breaking records in management at Juventus, that no-nonsense approach is impossible to escape.
“I always give education and respect but I demand the same, for all the -people that work with me. I give them this and I demand this,” he said.
“This was taught to me by my family, to give education and respect to all people. If I don’t have this, you are asking for trouble, for a problem. “I love to be with my players, to speak with them, to help them to understand my philosophy, my methods and my thoughts. I love this. Hopefully when the players understand this we have a fantastic relationship.”
Conte’s players have been warned. His arrival makes him the latest addition to a glamorous cast list of Premier League managers which includes Jose Mourinho, Pep Guardiola, Jurgen Klopp and Arsene Wenger.
Conte has fulfilled a burning ambition to manage in the English top flight and has already been a breath of fresh air at Stamford Bridge, having officially started work last Wednesday.
His relentless approach will surely shake off the lethargy of last season, with double training sessions already established at their Cobham training base.
It is easy to see why Italian journalists compare him to a hurricane.
Signings are required, despite the 33million pounds (Dh159.9 million) capture of Michy Batshuayi and 30million deal for N’Golo Kante.
Conte, however, is convinced the squad he has inherited is good enough to challenge at the top.
“I think last season was bad for all the players, it’s incredible that Chelsea finished 10th in the table,” he said. “The habit of Chelsea is to win the title or to stay till the end of the season fighting to win the title, to play in the Champions League, and the last -season, it was incredible.
“But Chelsea have players who can become top, top players. I think that these players with work can improve a lot, can improve still a lot.
“The heart is important, patience and the will to improve is very important and, in this case, it’s important for the manager to take the best players and try to improve them.”
Conte has agreed to rebuild Chelsea despite the absence of Champions League football this season, for the first time in the Abramovich era.
The 46-year-old Conte does not even have a compensatory Europa League campaign, though that should ensure there is no fixture congestion to damage a -title bid.
Last season Manuel Pellegrini put Leicester City’s remarkable title success partly down to the fact they were not in Europe.
But Conte wearily waves away the suggestion his side could similarly benefit in this campaign.
And while he hopes to guide Chelsea to the title, finishing in the top four is clearly the minimum requirement. “I prefer to play in the Champions League because Chelsea belonged in this tournament,” he said.
“I suffer a lot this year that we don’t play the Champions League.
“The players and the club we [also] suffer because we must stay there. For this reason, this season we must prepare very well to go back very soon to the rightful position where Chelsea must stay.
“It is very important to finish in the top four. When you are manager of a great team, you must know that you must fight for the best position, you must fight to win the title, you must fight to play the Champions League. “I know that in England there are six or seven teams who want to go and have the possibility to go in the Champions League, but only four can go. In this four we need to stay.”
