Back in the year 1998, when football gaming had just caught my eye, the one team I used to end up playing with was Juventus, more than often. The only reason was Zinedine Zidane, who was still a part of the FIFA 99 team. Over the years, as the game evolved and different versions of the game came out and squads changed the one name that was constant in that Juventus team sheet was that of Antonio Conte.
Conte was also part of the squads which reached the World Cup finals of 1994 and Euros 2000 but the Italian made only 20 international appearances scoring two goals.
In an era, which has been associated with inflated transfer fees and player agents gaining more leverage in transfer negotiations, being a one club person has become extremely difficult for the players. Although for Italian defenders such as Conte and Paolo Maldini this was a natural course of things. As his playing career dwindled to a close, Conte took to coaching.
Coaching – the path to Juventus
Having been associated with Juventus for more than a decade, Conte started his managerial career with Arezzo as an assistant manager for the 2005-06 season alongside Luigi De Canio. His elevation, removal and reappointment all happened in quick succession but were not enough to prevent the side from being relegated to Serie C1.
Further stints with Bari, Atalanta and Siena followed thereafter, as he set about establishing his coaching credentials. The Italian over his initial years of coaching was constantly linked with the Bianconeri but was overlooked for the job, till the summer of 2011, when he was finally appointed by the sporting director, Giuseppe Marotta as the new head coach of Juventus.
Conte in his playing days knew how to graft and that was one of the primary reasons for his success. In his playing days with Juventus, he became club captain and won whatever that was on offer domestically and across Europe in club football. Despite arriving at Juventus with an average track record in coaching, he was an instant hit with the fans. Juventus and Conte were considered a perfect fit as he understood the club’s ethos and the pressure and honour that come along with the job.
Also read: Antonio Conte: The man to fear in the Premier League
Over the course of his managerial career, he has generally favoured a 3-5-2 formation and with Juventus having the defensive trio of Giorgio Chiellini, Leonardo Bonucci, and Andrea Barzagli, his task was slightly made easier. In his first season, Juventus went the entire league season unbeaten, winning the title with one game remaining.
Considered as one of the game’s greatest motivators, his fury is well recognized and received by the players, for they know that Conte’s aim is to help them achieve their full potential. Conte has faced a lot as a player and was questioned regarding the match-fixing scandal as well. His arrival at Juventus though signified a constant improvement in the performances of his team over the three seasons he was in charge.
A coach of the Arrigo Sachi school of thought, Conte sets up his team as per the players at his disposal and likes his teams compact, so that midfielders can easily break forward to join the attack while forwards can drop back in the gaps. Intense as well as hardworking there have been stories of how Conte can rattle the dressing room if he senses even a hint of complacency.
As for his motivational skills, it can be best captured by Gianluigi Buffon who stated, ”Having Conte in the dressing room makes it impossible for anyone to go out on to the pitch not focused on the task at hand." His popularity and relationship with his players ensure that he reins the dressing room, with player’s senior and junior, all ears, taking in his words and acting them out on the pitch.
Over the course of his three seasons with Juventus, he broke the 100 points barrier and won the best Serie A coach for each season he was in charge. Even while he was banned from the sidelines for a period of 4 months, he ensured that he worked with the team throughout the week, so that his absence wasn’t felt on match day. Remarkably, though he wasn’t able to replicate the success of his domestic side on the European stage.
Conte – A forceful personality
Andrea Pirlo has a very interesting take on Antonio Conte. According to him, Conte’s speeches are as forceful as his actions and his words tend to assault the person hearing them. According to Pirlo, it often crashes into the mind violently before settling down. Recalling his first interaction with Conte, how Conte refused to accept the performances that had led to Juventus finishing seventh the season before. Dismissing the performances as crazy, he was clear that he won’t be accepting such performances.
Paolo Baldini of The Guardian, tells of the time when Conte returned from the fixing ban, from which he was later acquitted by the Court of Cremona. Having been suspended for four months, the day Conte was supposed to return was christened as “C-Day” or “Conte Day”, with Sky Sports even dedicating an exclusive camera to him. Behind the scenes, Conte has been quite a revered figure, for his motivational skills as well as man-management.
A strict disciplinarian and a tactically sound manager, he was responsible for Andrea Pirlo’s reinvention. As he told Tuttosport, in an interview at the end of last year, “There is no young and old, only victory or failure.” This same attitude has been reflected in his time with Juventus where Pirlo was the beneficiary and now at Chelsea FC where John Terry has been a part of his lineup.
Conte himself realises the importance of hard work, after all, he played till he was 37. He has time and again demonstrated a tactical versatility and is not a slave to formations, regularly altering as per the demands of the game.
Other players may differ about the attitude, but they do accept that the Italian binds the collective and helps the players work for each other. Spreading the belief of “us against them”, he does encourage the siege mentality to get the best out of the players at his disposal. Getting the Juventus team to win the Scudetto three times in a row indeed was an achievement and the squad went a degree higher every season.
Reaping the benefits
Over the years, Massimo Allegri has taken over the reins of the Old Lady and has continued the good work. With Juventus aiming to win their sixth Scudetto in a row, the squad has only been strengthened even though there has been the departure of the world’s most expensive player in the form of Paul Pogba.
Antonio Conte is and will remain an integral part of Juventus. His status as a legend is already sealed with the fans of the club and the fact that he persevered with the club even when the club was at its lowest ebb has earned him considerable good faith with the club.
