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The coach they call 'Don', Antonio Conte has had a spectacular managerial career. A hardworking midfielder of great respect for Juventus during his playing days, Conte has had a fairly successful career as a manager.
Few would have expected his managerial career to be as successful as it has been. Conte has won multiple league titles in Italy (with two different teams) and England.
The passionate touchline general has been praised particularly for his tactical nous, making the back three popular again across European football. After starting at modest Bari and Arezzo, Conte has risen to become one of the 21st century's greatest managers.
On that note, here are the five most iconic games in Antonio Conte's storied managerial career.
#5 Juventus 2:0 Inter Milan, Serie A 2011-12
Antonio Conte took over the reins at Juventus, a team that had only just returned to the top flight. The Bianconeri had endured a dramatic fall to Serie B after the infamous Calcipoli match-fixing scandal.
Conte went on to transform a team that seemed like distant pretenders to title contenders.
A 2-0 defeat of Inter Milan in March 2012 was a display of pride and quality that took Juventus back to the summit of Italian football. After initially playing with a 4-3-3, Conte switched to a 3-5-2. That brought the best out of Andrea Barzagli, Leonardo Bonucci and Giorgio Chiellini, and infinitely energised Arturo Vidal.
A Martin Caceres header from a corner, and a clever Alessandro Del Piero special led to Juventus' second Derby D'Italia win of the season. The Bianconeri would go on to win the league without losing a game. Antonio Conte's rejuvenated squad then went on to dominate the Italian league for the rest of the decade.
#4 Inter Milan 3:0 AC Milan, 2020-21
Conte laid the foundation for Juventus' near decade-long Serie A domination. He was also the man who sparked the Bianconeri dynasty's demise with his swashbuckling Inter Milan team in 2020-21.
The partnership of Romelu Lukaku and Lautaro Martinez up front wreaked havoc in the league. They played off each other, producing 36 goals between them. One of Inter Milan's best games was against AC Milan in the Derby behind closed doors after the COVID-19 pandemic.
Once again, Conte's 3-5-2 reaped dividends, as Inter's defensive prowess and lethal counter-attacking proved too much for Milan. Martinez broke the deadlock in the first half, while Samir Handanovic made a trio of superb saves at the start of the second. Martinez and Lukaku then scored to round off a comprehensive win.
#3 Juventus 3-0 Chelsea, Champions League 2012-13
Returning to Europe as domestic champions, Antonio Conte's Juventus put the world on notice. Conte's debut Champions League campaign saw the team reach the quarter-finals.
Chelsea, the defending European champions, were expected to provide the sternest challenge to Juventus in the group stage. But the Blues squandered a 2-0 lead at Stamford Bridge as Conte's men forced a share of the spoils. In the reverse fixture in Turin, Juventus completely outclassed Chelsea, scoring three unanswered goals, that cost Roberto Di Matteo his job.
Goals from Fabio Quagilarella, Arturo Vidal and Sebastian Giovinco helped a classy and silky smooth Juventus outwit Chelsea. In the process, the Bianconeri announced their return to the European stage in some style.
#2 Italy 2:0 Belgium, Euro 2016
After his immensely successful spell at Juventus, Conte was handed the reins of the Italian national team.
Conte inherited an Azzurri squad that many felt was underwhelming. But Conte surprised supporters and critics alike with astute tactical play, bringing the best out of his players.
The best example of that came in the opening game against Belgium, the top-ranked team in the world. Goals from Emanuele Giavcherini and Graziano Pellè helped Italy to a convincing win.
Recreating his famous back three formation with BBC (Barzagli, Bonucci and Chiellini), Conte's men stifled the likes of Romelu Lukaku, Eden Hazard and Kevin De Bruyne. Eventually, the Azzurri's collective discipline and resilience proved too strong for a star-studded Belgium team.
#1 Chelsea 4:0 Manchester United, Premier League 2016-17
Conte arrived in London with a reputation to uphold, winning multiple titles at Juventus and leading Italy to the last eight at Euro 2016.
Chelsea's impatient owner Roman Abramovich soon snapped up the Italian that summer. After an unconvincing start in a 4-3-3 formation, Conte switched to the then relatively novel 3-4-3.
Chelsea went on to produce defensive solidity as they harnessed the immense attacking potential of Pedro, Diego Costa and Eden Hazard. They went on to win 13 consecutive games and romped to the Premier League title that season.
Their most memorable victory was a 4-0 thrashing of Jose Mourinho's Manchester United. Chelsea flew ahead with a Pedro goal in under 30 seconds. Gary Cahill, Eden Hazard and Ngolo Kante then added further gloss to the scoreline.
Conte's tactical system instilled belief and confidence in the players, helping Chelsea capture the league title.
