Ranking the 5 most iconic matches in Antonio Conte's managerial career
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.
On this day in 2012, Juventus clinched their 30th league title after beating Cagliari 2-0. The first Scudetto under Conte. https://t.co/2j5WWgxnOW
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.
⚫️🔵 How to play out from the back, by Antonio Conte's Inter 🤩
#UCL | @Inter https://t.co/I8DeajAyer
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.