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Conte happy he fought fixing charges
Chelsea manager Antonio Conte says he was always determined to fight match-fixing allegations in his native Italy.
Conte was banned for ten months, later reduced on appeal, for not reporting alleged match-fixing in two games involving ex-club Siena in the 2010-11 season.
After a lengthy appeal process, he was acquitted of the charges in May, with a judge in Cremona calling the accusations "baseless".
"The story is a bad story and a story I do not accept," said Conte.
"I fought against it and risked myself to go before a judge. I could have chosen another way. It would have been very easy for me to finish and let the time pass.
"In Italy, in the past, with this type of story, five years and it's finished.
"But no, I wanted to be judged. I knew in my heart the story was bad for me and my family. Many people wrote bad things without knowing the reality."
Chelsea appointed Conte on a three-year deal a month before his eventual acquittal in the Italian courts, and the former Juventus and Italy manager insists it was well known in footballing circles that he was innocent.
"My players, other managers, all the people know me from Italy. All the people know who Antonio Conte is," he continued/
"The national team chose me as the coach in this period of [allegations of] the fixing.
"I want always to win and I work very hard to win but never, never like this."
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