Conte praises fans after Chelsea victory

Antonio Conte praised both sets of fans following Chelsea’s 3-0 victory against Middlesbrough.

The result left Chelsea needing one more win to clinch the title and it confirmed Boro’s relegation back to the Championship.

The Stamford Bridge crowd loudly chanted Conte’s name, particularly during the second half.

And the Blues boss said: “It’s great to have this atmosphere in the stadium – to hear our fans with this enthusiasm and passion. It’s great for me, great for the players and for the club.”

The Italian also explained why he applauded the travelling Boro fans after the final whistle.

He said: “In this case it is important to celebrate your win because for us it means we are very close to winning the title.

“But at the same time it is great to see a team, that got relegated, to see the fans of the club stay and clap their players.

“It is important to celebrate our win but also to have great respect and clap this type of situation, because I think this situation only happens in England. In Italy it is very difficult (to imagine) seeing a team relegated and the players receiving this.

“For this reason I felt in my heart to go and clap these fans and wish every one of their players good luck for next season.”