Wilian says he would have left Chelsea had Conte stayed

Wilian says he would have left Chelsea had Conte stayed

Willian of Chelsea looks on during the pre-season friendly match between Chelsea and Lyon at Stamford Bridge on August 7, 2018 in London, England. (Aug. 6, 2018 - Source: Mike Hewitt/Getty Images Europe) 

Willian says he would have left Chelsea had Conte stayed on as the head coach.

The Brazil winger featured in Chelsea 3-0 win away at Huddersfield as new coach Maurizio Sarri won his first Premier League game.

Conte won the 2016/17 Premier League title and 2017/18 FA Cup trophy but was sacked in July after failing to qualify for the UEFA Champions League.

One of the reasons he was sack was also due to a fallout with senior players at the club, Conte's text message to Diego Costa was one of the reasons the Atletico Madrid forward left Stamford Bridge and defender David Luiz was also alienated by the Italian boss, these two decisions did not sit well with Willian and some other top players.

After the FA Cup triumph, Willian used a trophy emoji to cover Antonio Conte in a celebratory picture he posted on his Instagram story.

Conte's style of play and coaching was also a worry for some top players like Willian and Hazard.

After Chelsea's win at Huddersfield on Saturday, during a post-match interview, Willian talked about life under new boss Maurizio Sarri: "The manager tells us to play, to enjoy ourselves on the pitch," he 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."

The 30-year old winger was linked to Manchester United, Barcelona and Real Madrid during this transfer window.

Willian told the Evening Standard he would have left when he was asked if would have stayed had Conte stayed on as Chelsea coach: "No chance. No. I'm here because I want to play for Chelsea. I will only leave if Chelsea want me to go."

Chelsea will host Arsenal in their next Premier League tie 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."