Chelsea manager Antonio Conte vents his anger at referee Bobby Madley after Community Shield defeat to Arsenal
The Blues were reduced to 10 men after Pedro's rash challenge on Mohamed Elneny
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Your support makes all the difference.Antonio Conte vented his growing frustration at referee Bobby Madley this afternoon after Chelsea’s season got off to the worst possible start, losing the Community Shield on penalties to Arsenal.
The Chelsea manager admitted he was “frustrated” and “angry” with the decision to book Willian for diving in the first half, rather than award a penalty. The decision was similar to the one here for the FA Cup final in May, when Victor Moses was given a second yellow and sent off for diving, in a final Arsenal went on to win.
Pedro was sent off for Chelsea this afternoon, just before Sead Kolasinac equalised for Arsenal, and Conte did not try and hide his feelings afterwards.
“For sure there is disappointment to finish for the second time with 10 men against Arsenal, before in the FA Cup and now in the Community Shield,” Conte said. “A lot of people told me the penalty [for Willian] was clear. For sure there is a bit of frustration, but you know very well we have to respect referees decisions. But sometimes these decisions make you a bit angry.”
Madley spoke to Conte to explain his decision and the Chelsea manager joked that he wanted to complain for hours about what he perceived as an injustice. “There wasn’t time [to talk], because I also wanted to ask why it wasn’t a penalty, and why it was a yellow card for Willian,” Conte said.
“Then we would stay and finish the game at 9pm. If you remember in the final of the FA Cup, there was also a controversial decision against us.”
Conte cut a miserable figure during his post-match press conference and refused to answer a question about whether he has the squad in place to defend Chelsea’s Premier League title.
Chelsea have only signed three first-team players this summer, Antonio Rudiger, Tiemoue Bakayoko and Alvaro Morata, and the squad looks thin to compete for four trophies.
When Conte was asked about his striking options, he could only answer cryptically.
“I think I have also replied to this question,” he said. “I hope in the future to have a different question, than whether there is necessity to improve our squad, or about our strikers. I have replied.
"My reply is always the same, otherwise it means I was telling you a lie. The truth is the same, and I repeat always the same.”
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