Parsons Green: Chelsea can be pillar of support in wake of terror attack

THE leafy lanes of Cobham seemed a long way away from Parsons Green as Antonio Conte began his press conference but this morning’s terror attack occurred less than 900m from Chelsea’s Stamford Bridge home.

Parsons Green terror attack ChelseaGETTY

Chelsea manager Antonio Conte spoke of unity in the wake of the Parsons Green terror attack

“I'd like to say that all our thoughts are for the people affected in the incident on the Tube,” Conte announced soberly before the floor was opened up to questions.

The ideal has always been to keep sport and politics apart, but when a community is affected, the nearest football club can so often be a pillar of support as well as a symbol of normality.

The former was illustrated by QPR’s recent Game for Grenfell; the latter will be demonstrated when fans walk defiantly through the streets of west London towards Sunday’s game against Arsenal.

Conte is no stranger to being a focus for life continuing as usual.

As Italy coach, he was in Brussels on the night of the Paris bombings in November 2015, a fact that became more poignant when the perpetrators were tracked down to Belgium.

“For sure this type of situation is very dangerous and yes your mind goes in this situation,” he said.

“But I think that we have to try to think only to play the game and I think this is the best way.

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“I remember when I was a coach of the national team, and if you remember well, when the terrorist attack occurred, we stayed with the national team, and had to play against Belgium.

“In this case, it's important to continue. For sure there is a great disappointment about this. A lot of the time, it's very difficult to understand why. Why?

“But I think we have to continue, to show that we are stronger than them.”

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