Antonio Conte’s bitter legal dispute with his former club Chelsea is not over yet, according to the Daily Mail.
In May, a Premier League tribunal ordered the Blues to pay Inter’s new head coach a severance package of €9 million as compensation for the final 12 months of his contract.
However, Chelsea have refused to accept the decision and are determined to overturn the verdict of an unfair dismissal.
“In a dramatic twist, Conte’s case has now been taken to the Central London Employment Tribunal, and was heard on Friday afternoon,” Laura Lambert reported.
“Conte did not attend court, but was represented by Phil Bonner, of Manchester-based legal firm Centrefield.
“It has been reported that the club’s defence in the original tribunal included that Conte’s treatment of Diego Costa – he reportedly told him by text message he was not in his plans – was not in the best interests of the club.
“They are also thought to have argued that he breached his contract through his behaviour towards players and senior staff. Conte’s lawyers, meanwhile, argued that the delay to his dismissal hindered his chances of landing another managerial position.”
Conte’s feud with Chelsea had dragged on for 10 months before the first verdict was delivered earlier this year.
It appears the saga has several chapters left yet, though, threatening to provide an unpleasant distraction for Inter’s boss as he prepares for the new Serie A campaign.