Antonio Conte admits his compatriot and former England manager Fabio Capello said a lack of a winter break “penalised” the national team.
Figures within the game seem split on whether a pause in the middle of the season would benefit both the standard of football and the success of the national team.
The Premier League remains the only major league in Europe that continues with its fixtures over the festive period rather than allow clubs time off.
Foreign coaches have often bemoaned the fixture congestion in December and Conte is now experiencing it for the first time as Chelsea boss.
Last term Jurgen Klopp seemed to fire a dig at the English football schedule and others could yet follow suit.
The Italian said: “I lived always this experience when I stayed in Italy. I have this situation in England, and I heard a lot of coaches saying you should stop and have a winter break.
“Above all with the national team. Capello always said the lack of a winter break penalised the national team.”
However, the Chelsea manager has said he cannot comment on the Christmas period of games until he has negotiated it as a manager, but is relishing the opportunity and claims he is “very happy” for the experience.
He added: “It's very difficult to reply to this question. To play in this period, the atmosphere we find in this period is very difficult to find in another period.
“It's fantastic. It's very difficult for me to say if it's positive or negative to play during the Christmas period. But for me, it's my first experience and I'm very happy to have this experience.”
Chelsea host Bournemouth tomorrow in the first of two games at home with Stoke City visiting Stamford Bridge on New Year’s Eve.
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