Oriali confirms contact but refuses to say if he will make Chelsea switch
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Italy general manager Gabriele Oriali has refused to deny that Chelsea head coach Antonio Conte would like him to make the move to Stamford Bridge.
Oriali worked above Conte when the Blues boss was in charge of the Italian national team between 2014 and 2016, and it is believed that the ex Juventus manager would like Oriali to perform a similar role at Chelsea.
There were numerous reports over the summer that Conte was unhappy with how Chelsea handled the club’s transfer business, and it seems he would like a technical director in place either to replace Michael Emenalo or to work alongside the Nigerian in future transfer windows. Speaking to Tuttomercatoweb radio, Oriali was non-committal in his response to the speculation:
“Is it true that the current Blues manager wanted to bring you with him? I can only say that we are good friends. In the national team we created a certain relationship and we are still in contact.”
Oriali was technical director for Bologna, Parma and Inter Milan prior to his work with Italy. He was also a player himself, playing for just two clubs in Inter and Fiorentina during his career.