As expected, Antonio Conte has become the man charged with delivering a stack of trophies, eye-wateringly beautiful football and world peace by Roman Abramovich.
The Italy manager has been confirmed as Jose Mourinho’s permanent replacement at Stamford Bridge after signing a three-year-deal, and will officially begin his reign after Euro 2016.
The 46-year-old enjoyed a distinguished career as a player and manager but despite his domestic and European successes, he is far from a household name in England. So, who is he – and is there anything funny to be said about him?
Decorated player
Antonio Conte served as player and manager of Juventus for 16 trophy-laden years; with 13 of those coming as a player.
In over a decades service to the Old Lady Conte picked up five Serie A titles and five European Cups, including one Champions League trophy.
Despite measuring a mere 5 foot 8 inches, the midfielder became renowned for his combative style of play as box-to-box enforcer – think Dennis Wise, only with more class and better dress sense.
Failed first out as a manager
Conte’s leadership qualities and tactical intelligence on the pitch meant he was touted for management from very early on in his time at Juventus.
Conte was sacked within three months of taking his first managerial job
However his first furore into management ended in disappointment. After taking the job as manager of Serie B side Arezzo he was sacked just three months later after a series of poor results.
The Italian will lead his national team for this summer’s Euro 2016 in France where they really should improve on their largely dismal showing in the 2014 World Cup, which saw them exit at the group stage (along with another team we can’t remember just at the moment).
Hair transplant ambassador
Now for the really interesting stuff. What you certainly will not know about Conte is that he recently underwent thorough follicle restoration therapy on his head.
The Italy manager appears as a testimonial story on the website for the Hairloss Improvement Solutions clinic.
According to the testimonial Conte travelled to Vancouver Canada to remedy his battle with baldness after two failed attempts to reverse the process in Italy.
He succeeds – and then falls out with people
Conte took over as head coach of Juventus with the Italian giants still reeling from the match-fixing scandal that had seen the club stripped of their Scudetto titles. He became manager in 2011
The former player’s impact was immediate as he led the club to a first Serie A title in eight years, finishing his first season unbeaten in the league.
In 2012 he emulated the great Marcelo Lippi when he became the first Juventus coach to lead the Old Lady to a Coppa Italia triumph since 2004.
Conte resigned as manager in 2015 after a clash with the Juventus hierarchy over transfer policy, a feud Italian Federation President Carlo Tavecchio confirmed in an interview.
“Juve and Conte didn’t have a good relationship. He has a very strong personality, and things were complicated by an economic dispute between him and the club.”
Should be ideal for Chelsea, in that case.
The Lecce-born manager is renowned for his meticulous planning and detailed analysis of games, and woe-betide anyone that does not buy into his philosophy.
Italian journalist Alessandro Alciato, who co-wrote Andrea Pirlo’s autobiography, recalls a story around the time Conte was pushing his side to break the league record for points in a season.
When Juventus goalkeeper and club legend Gianluigi Buffon interupted the team meeting to discuss player bonuses, Conte “lost his rag.”
“Shut the f*** up Gigi, What the f*** are you saying? Don’t say a word. I don’t want to see you anymore, get out of here! I would have never expect it from you, you don’t know s*** Gigi, you are the captain, you are a disappointment to me as well as all these idiots.”
Match-fixing controversy
Despite having no involvement in the match fixing trial that cost Juventus their place in Serie A, Conte threatened to be drawn into the controversy.
In 2012 Filippo Carobbio, formerly of Siena, accused Conte, then the Siena manager, of failing to report an occasion when was allegedly asked by the Siena owner to lose a game.
The Siena chairman was alleged to have sent a message to the dressing at half time during a game against Novaro asking the team to purposefully concede goals to help him win ‘a large bet.’
Conte denied knowledge of the message but was handed a 10-month suspension from management for failing to report the incident.
Pirlo rates him
Conte has received the seal of approval from one of European football’s most iconic players.
In his autobiography, ‘I Think Therefore I Play,’ Pirlo waxed lyrical about the influence his Juventus boss had on his game.
Andrea Pirlo has hailed Antonio Conte’s managerial acumen.
“When Conte speaks his words assault you, they crash through the doors of your mind. I’ve lost count of the number of times I’ve said: ‘Hell, Conte said something really spot on again today.”
Pirlo also confirms the fiery Italian can shock as well as inspire, referring to the 46-year-old’s notorious ‘death stare.’
Tactics
Conte is a renowned exponent of the controversial 3-5-2 formation.
Louis van Gaal has been largely pilloried for the use of the formation for Manchester United this season, but Conte is understood to be wedded to the philosophy that allows the team to employ three central midfielders to dictate the pace of the game.
The Italian national side employ the formation under Conte, and it’s expected the Italian will take his favoured tactics with him to Stamford Bridge.
Pals with Pogba
Antonio Conte was the man who lured Paul Pogba away from Manchester United in 2012.
Conte signed Pogba from Man Utd in 2012
The free transfer for the Frenchman was one of Conte’s first signings as manager of Juve, and the 46-year-old’s impending move to London has seen the odds on Pogba reuniting with the Italian cut this morning.
Attributed with aiding the 22-year-old’s development into the world’s most coveted midfielder, Conte could prove to be a significant influence in Pogba’s decision on where his next move will be.
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