Conte worked with coaches Angelo Allessio, Massimo Carrera, Paolo Bertelli and scout Mauro Sandreani at Juventus, but there is still plenty of room in Chelsea’s backroom staff since the departure of former manager Jose Mourinho.
Along with Mourinho, assistant Rui Faria and coaches Silvino Louro, Jose Morais and Carlos Lalin left Chelsea in December and their responsibilities were shared out among existing members of staff.
Under Mourinho, Holland managed to work effectively in tandem with the trusted, but sometimes unpopular, disciple of the Portuguese, Rui Faria and has taken training since Hiddink’s return.
Chelsea are also mindful of the fact that Holland ignored interest from Fulham in offering him the job as manager to stay with the Blues and help steer the club through this season’s crisis.
With Conte still learning English, Holland would provide a vital link between the coaching set-up and the English-speaking Chelsea players, and his successful work in youth football helps to bridge the gap between the first team and the Academy.
While Holland is expected to remain a part of the first-team set-up under the new manager, Eddie Newton may well return to his old job as loan player technical coach.
Antonio Conte factfile
Newton stepped up to help Holland and work with the first team under Hiddink, but the former midfielder is likely to be offered his old role of working with the club’s players out on loan if he has no place in Conte’s first-team staff.
Other than considering a backroom reshuffle, Conte is already believed to have given thought to the players he would try to sign for Chelsea this summer.
Sources in Italy believe one of those is 28-year-old central defender Leonardo Bonucci, who played under Conte at Juventus. Chelsea certainly need defensive reinforcements, particularly with captain John Terry yet to be offered a new contract.
- Telegraph