Chelsea boss Antonio Conte has confirmed the decision to sell Nemanja Matic to Manchester United was not made by him.
The 29-year-old agreed terms with United earlier in the week, making his first appearance for the club in their preseason friendly against Sampdoria in Dublin.
Prior to the switch to Old Trafford, the Serbian had also been linked with a possible transfer to Italy, with Juventus and Internazionale said to have been keen to sign him.
The decision to sanction Matic’s move to United, potentially strengthening one of Chelsea’s Premier League rivals in the process, was seen as strange by some of the London club’s supporters.
Asked why Matic was allowed to make the move north instead of being sold to an overseas club, Conte appeared to place the blame at the feet of the board and owners.
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“You have to ask the club about this,” he said, looking distinctly unimpressed.
Matic-less Chelsea take on Arsenal in this weekend’s Community Shield in a repeat of last season’s FA Cup Final. The following weekend, they will take on Burnley as they begin the defence of their Premier League crown.
