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LONDON. — Antonio Conte on Saturday night warned his Chelsea stars: Respect me or there will be trouble!

The new Blues boss delivered his blunt message as he prepares for his debut season in the Premier League.

Chelsea’s squad has become infamous for player power, but Italian Conte has pledged to come down hard on any Stamford Bridge rebels.

The ex-Italy and Juventus coach, known as the Godfather back home, said: “My approach with the players is always right as I was a footballer and I understand their mind.

“I love working with my players. I try to educate them and show them respect. But I also demand the same respect back – and, if I don’t have this, then you are in trouble and we have a problem.” Conte (46) is a livewire in the technical area as he demonstrated while leading Italy to the last eight at Euro 2016.

And when quizzed over his Godfather tag, he laughed before admitting life in his dressing rooms can get pretty volatile. Conte, Chelsea’s fifth Italian boss since 1998, added: “Sometimes, at half-time or in a break, you must invent a strategy to keep the attention and expectations high.

“In these situations, it is important that the coach creates high tension.”

Meanwhile, Conte has told Eden Hazard he can mould him into the Blues’ Lionel Messi.

Hazard had the world at his feet at the end of the 2014-15 campaign when he was crowned Footballer of the Year as the Blues won the Premier League title.

But he had a rotten season last time out as he and his team-mates flunked, and was a shadow of the player who had set the top flight on fire.

Conte, however, has vowed to get him firing on all cylinders again and sees no reason why the likes of Hazard and Brazilian star Willian won’t soon be ranked alongside the greats of the game.

The Italian said: “Chelsea have players who can become top, top, top players. These players with work can still improve a lot.

“Because now we have players, fantastic players, who have great talent but in this moment the world doesn’t think they are the same level as Lionel Messi, Luis Suarez, Neymar, Cristiano Ronaldo or Paul Pogba.

“But in our squad there are players who, with work, can improve a lot and reach this level. I’m sure about this.

“It’s important that the players understand they must work to show that ‘Now I am a top player, but I want to become top, top, top, top and want to stay there’.

“The mentality is important. The heart is important. Patience and the will to improve is very important. And in this case it’s important for the manager to take the best players and try to improve them.” — The Daily Star.