Former Chile national team coach Jorge Sampaoli revealed that he was the main contender to become the head coach of Chelsea, but his limited knowledge of English language held him back.
Speaking to Argentina's Radio Vorterix, he admitted to meeting with Chelsea owner Roman Abramovich, who revealed to him that Sampaoli was the main contender to become the team's coach. However, considering that he would need a significant amount of time to improve his English language skills, Chelsea decided to appoint Antonio Conte as the coach.
"I had a meeting with Chelsea's owner, and he told me that I was their first choice in the list of candidates. It was a conversation about the possibility of becoming their coach. But then Conte appeared and there was a competition between us. I needed time to improve my English language skills, and such clubs do not give you that much time," Sampaoli revealed.
With the Chile national team, Sampaoli won the 2015 Copa America championship, but he stepped down from the position of national team coach in January.
