Gianfranco Zola is delighted to see Chelsea on top of the Premier League- with the added bonus of knowing it’s one of his former team-mates that is in charge.
A five match winning run under Antonio Conte has transformed the mood around the club following a sluggish start and last season’s mid table disaster.
Conte has made the most of Chelsea being out of Europe with a win tomorrow against Spurs putting the Stamford Bridge outfit seven points ahead of their old rivals.
“I had no doubt Antonio was going to do a good job for Chelsea,” Zola told The Sun. “If you have that kind of passion, it is like adding salt to the meal — and that makes it a little bit tastier. It is the same for Antonio and Chelsea.
“I know Antonio’s value. Over the years, I’ve seen how well he works. The only question I had was if his methods were going to stick with the players quickly because Antonio is quite intense.
“But everyone at Chelsea has bought into it. If the players can feel that passion, then they are more fired up.”
Conte built his reputation as a manager at Juventus and brought pride back to the Italian national side at Euro 2016.
Transforming those methods to the demands of the English game can be fraught with danger as a string of foreign bosses have discovered.
Conte however is much more than a coach with his fighting qualities being exactly what Chelsea needed.
“There is no doubt Antonio is a winner,” Zola added. “Winning three back-to-back Italian titles with Juventus is an incredible feat.
“Wherever he goes, he does a good job. The competition in the Premier League now is tougher than what he had in Italy but he’s up to the challenge.
“Winning is in his blood. He’s in great shape and I really hope they can continue.”