Betting suspended on Conte sacking

Antonio Conte’s future as Chelsea head coach has been thrust into the spotlight after betting was suspended on the Italian being the next Premier League boss to be sacked on Thursday.

Compatriot Francesco Guidolin became the first top-flight manager to lose his job when he was shown the door by Swansea City last week, but a surprise surge in bets on Conte to go next has seen bookmakers take action.

Chelsea have privately insisted that there is no truth in the speculation.

A Betway spokesman said: “Our traders are on red alert after a flurry of telling bets on Antonio Conte being the next Premier League manager to leave their post were placed this afternoon.

“We’ve now suspended betting on Conte getting the sack.”

Conte took charge of Chelsea at the beginning of this season, having guided Italy to the Euro 2016 quarter-finals.

However, since opening the season with a run of three consecutive victories, Chelsea have picked up four points from a potential 12 in their last four matches, which included defeats to Liverpool and Arsenal.

Chelsea – seventh in the Premier League table – host champions Leicester City on Saturday, having faced the same opponents in Jose Mourinho’s last game before being sacked last December.