So it must be tough for him to swallow a public whipping from Chelsea boss Maurizio Sarri — a man who worked for a bank before becoming a coach less than 20 years ago.
The criticism aimed at action man Kante, 27, and the wider squad is a watershed moment in Sarri’s career as head coach at the Premier League’s most political club.
Up until Saturday it was all about the record-breaking start to life in England — 18 games unbeaten, relaxing the draconian regime of his predecessor Antonio Conte.
Tomato ketchup back on the menu, no sterile hotels before night games at Stamford Bridge. All bonhomie and back-slapping.
Sarri has had to bare his teeth this week in the wake of a 3-1 defeat by Tottenham which is causing massive repercussions within the Chelsea ‘family’.
It was not the losing that counted, it was the not taking part. Sarri’s team imploded in a shocking show of loose-limbed lethargy, poor organisation and, worst of all, the ability to surrender to Chelsea’s bitter rivals.
Picking on nice-guy Kante, though, seems a strange choice of target.
Only last Friday Sarri was gushing with ‘pride’ at how his humble, unflappable Frenchman was a credit to the club as a player and as a person with his low-key attitude in an industry awash with prima donnas.
What you see, or do not, from the 5ft 6in midfielder, is what you get.
If Kante makes a mistake it is guaranteed to be an honest one.
Sarri has dug out Alvaro Morata before, labelling the Spanish striker ‘mentally fragile’. But that is based on the evidence of injuries, feeble displays leading the line and problems adjusting to English life.
The defence has been questioned but again the evidence has been there for all to see with Chelsea going behind to lowly Cardiff and blowing leads at home to Arsenal and Liverpool.
Kante has played every minute of every one of Chelsea’s 13 league games under the new head coach this season and seemed bulletproof.
Not so now after a broadside designed to prick a reaction from the players ahead of tonight’s Europa League tie with PAOK.
Sarri has shown that he can be mean. It is what we have all been waiting to see. How would he respond to the inevitable defeat? His predecessor Conte would not shave and reverted to default ‘hard work’ mode.
The manager before that, Jose Mourinho, was wildly unpredictable. Sometimes he would refuse to talk to the team in the dressing room, on other occasions he would play practical jokes to try to lighten the mood.
Mourinho’s reign ended in the infamous ‘palpable discord’ between the manager and his players. Sarri is a million miles from that.
But the key will be the response tonight and in Sunday’s home game with Fulham.
A thumping win and a solid defence is the requirement to stop an irksome blip mushrooming into something else.
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