Fernando
Llorente has backed his former boss Antonio Conte to lead Chelsea to the
Premier League title this season.
The 31-year-old, who will lead the line for Swansea against Chelsea live on
Super Sunday, played under Conte at Juventus in the 2013/14 season when the
Spaniard scored 18 goals and the Turin club won Serie A with a record 102
points.
He says the Italian commands respect in the dressing room and expects the
Stamford Bridge side to be challenging for honours at the end of the season.
"He was good to work for, he was fiery," said Llorente. "You could speak
with him, there is a lot of energy and passion there, and players gave their
best of themselves every day.
"He knows when he needs to assert himself to the players, to tell them how
to play better.
"Players respected him, but it was not quite fear. I think Chelsea this year
will win the Premier League."
The Swansea striker is also looking forward to playing against Diego Costa
on Sunday and knows his side will be in for a fight against the Spain
forward.
Brazil-born Costa recently attacked the Spanish media after his performance
in the 2-0 friendly win in Belgium, claiming he would be more fairly treated
by journalists if he was a "natural Spaniard" playing for Real Madrid or
Barcelona.
"I know he has been criticised in the Spanish media but, for me, Diego Costa
is a very good player," said Llorente, a World Cup winner with Spain in
2010.
"We know he fights for everything, for every ball... and fights every player
on the other team! I have not had fights with him when I have played against
him - not ones I remember anyway.
"But I played against him when we were both young and he was at Valladolid.
He is a good striker who has scored a lot of goals - both in Spain and now
here."
Llorente has yet to score in his four Swansea appearances since completing
his £5m move from Sevilla last month but the striker, who made his name with
over 100 goals in nine seasons at Athletic Bilbao, is confident that he will
soon find his best form.
"In the last two weeks I have felt good in training. Maybe, I need to stay
like that now in the matches," said Llorente. "At all times in my career, it
has taken a little time to settle.
"The Premier League has been how I expected it to be. I am used to this type
of football. It is similar to the way we played at Athletic Bilbao.
"I want to start scoring goals as soon as I can and I know I must score a
lot to play for Spain again. I don't think people will forget about me here
as the Premier League is the most watched league [in football]."
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