I was fooled: Michy Batshuayi blasts Antonio Conte

Michy Batshuayi has hit out at his former Chelsea manager Antonio Conte for signing him under false pretences.

The striker moved to Stamford Bridge in 2016 in a deal worth £35million, after an impressive spell at Marseille where he earned comparisons to Blues legend Didier Drogba.

However, over a six-year spell Batshuayi struggled to establish himself as a regular in Chelsea’s starting XI, scoring 25 goals in 77 games across all competitions.

He instead spent much of his time out on loan, with varying degrees of success, playing for Dortmund, Valencia, Crystal Palace and Besiktas.

There were some high points however, including scoring the goal that clinched the 2016/17 Premier League title for Conte’s side as well as an FA Cup triumph the following season.

Over the summer the 28-year-old finally parted ways with Chelsea for good, joining Turkish side Fenerbahce, and has now opened up about his time in west London.

And the Belgian international has revealed that he felt betrayed by Conte after the Italian promised to play him in a certain formation, only to unexpectedly change his tactics.

‘Conte was constantly contradicting himself,’ Batshuayi told Sport.

‘To start with my arrival. He called me and explained his project. He wanted me to play in a two-man frontline alongside Diego Costa.

‘Did I believe that? Of course, because Conte has played with two attackers all his career. Except at Chelsea with me.

‘I do not understand. The truth is that I have been fooled far too often.’

It is true that throughout much of his career Conte has deployed a 3-5-2 formation, but at Chelsea he favoured a 3-4-3, with Costa supported by wingers Eden Hazard and Willian during the title-winning campaign.

And even though Costa was sold the following season, Batshuayi remained on the fringes of the team after Chelsea splashed the cash to sign two new strikers in Alvaro Morata and Olivier Giroud.

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