Antonio Conte continues to be involved in a dispute with former club Chelsea over the terms of the Italian manager's payoff, with the case looking likely to end up in the High Court after months of discussions have yet to wield an agreeable conclusion.
The 49-year-old was sacked by the club late last summer with one year remaining on his contract, this despite guiding the Blues to a FA Cup trophy that season, with the legal teams on both parties discussing the terms of his exit ever since.
As reported by The Times, Conte's lawyers are arguing that he is entitled to be paid for the final year of his deal, which would result in roughly in a payoff of around £9m. The other claim his legal team are making is that, due to the late nature of his sacking, their client was hindered in his efforts to find another club and are discussing claiming for aggravated damages.
With the bitterness of the dispute still rife, it now appears the issue will be considered by a three person tribunal, which is the first legal recourse for any dispute relating to an employment contract. After the tribunal comes to a conclusion, if neither party accepts the ruling then the judgement can be challenged in the High Court.
For Chelsea, their claims against their former coach suggest the former Juventus manager was in breach of his contract as a result his behaviour during his final season in charge.
His relationship with the key figures at Stamford Bridge reached boiling point towards the end of his stay in west London, with repeated public outbursts towards the running of the club. His deteriorating relations with his former side started after the Italian had sent a text message to striker Diego Costa informing the Spaniard he was surplus to requirements at the beginning of his final season.
Having won the Premier League title and the FA Cup in his two seasons in charge at Chelsea, his growingly fractured bond with the club reached breaking point, and now it appears to be continuing on as the legal teams remain divided in the terms of the severance package.
Source : 90min