'Conte's discipline the right tonic for Chelsea'

‘He's disciplined, he's a winner and he's a competitor’

Chelsea midfielder Cesc Fabregas said the uncompromising attitude to hard work of incoming manager Antonio Conte is exactly what is needed to galvanize the outgoing Premier League champions.

Conte, currently in charge of Italy, will replace interim manager Guus Hiddink after the European Championship in July and Fabregas said the Italian would push Chelsea's players hard from the outset.

"From what I've heard... he's disciplined, he's a winner and he's a competitor," Fabregas said on Sky Sports' Monday Night Football.

"That's what we need. Someone that will always be on our back to push us and make us work hard, teaching us new things.

"All I know is that he wants to win straight away. No more transition, no more excuses. He wants to win and for that we'll have to be prepared from day one."

Conte played more than 400 games for Juventus and went on to manage the club to three successive Serie A titles from 2012 before taking charge of Italy.

Chelsea are 10th in the Premier League following a hugely disappointing campaign, with manager Jose Mourinho sacked in December after the team lost nine of their first 16 Premier League matches.

Fabregas said it was the players who had let Mourinho down and that the Portuguese's was too generous to his squad after they won the title by eight points last term.

"I love Jose and consider him my friend... He gave us more holiday because we were champions, he believed in us more, trusted us more, and we let him down," Fabregas added.

"That was the main reason why at the end he had to go. And for that, myself and all the team, will feel bad for him."