Willian says there is ‘no chance’ he would have stayed at Chelsea under Antonio Conte

Chelsea winger Willian says there is “no chance” he would be at the club had former head coach Antonio Conte still been in charge.

Conte won the 2016-17 Premier League title with the Blues but was sacked in July after finishing fifth.

His replacement, fellow Italian Maurizio Sarri, won his first Premier League match in charge, 3-0 at Huddersfield on Saturday.

Read: Chelsea sign midfielder Kovacic on loan from Real Madrid

“The manager tells us to play, to enjoy ourselves on the pitch,” Willian said.

“Is it fun to play this way? I think so. We have a lot of players with quality up front, like Eden Hazard and Pedro. Players like that want to play football.

“That’s why he [Sarri] talked about ‘fun’ football [after arriving at Chelsea]. This is what we will try to do this season.”

Brazilian Willian, 30, was linked with Barcelona, Real Madrid and Manchester United this summer but committed his future to the Blues in early August.

Read: Chelsea defender David Luiz eulogizes Ghanaian wunderkid Ethan Ampadu

Asked whether he would have stayed if Conte had not been fired, he told the Evening Standard: “No chance. No. I’m here because I want to play for Chelsea. I will only leave if Chelsea want me to go.”

Chelsea are at home to Arsenal in their next league fixture on Saturday, and Willian added: “Now we have a different style, that’s why we can create problems for Arsenal.

“Of course, it will be a special game against Arsenal because it is a derby. It is always difficult against them. We have to prepare well during the week.”

Source: BBC