Antonio Conte: The mad genius and the relentless quest for perfection
At the start of the 2016/17 season, newly-appointed Chelsea boss Antonio Conte was interviewed by Thierry Henry who not only challenged him to speak in English for the duration of the interview but also challenged him to bare his soul to Premier League fans curious about what the Italian manager would bring to English football.
Of course, his reputation preceded him. But there was still an air of mystery surrounding the master tactician who patrolled the touchline for 90 minutes (and stoppage time) screaming instructions at each and every player, playing the game in his mind’s eye, his muscle memory willing his players to mimic his own actions.
But tactics aside, it was his philosophy with respect to man management that was the major talking point. At that point in the season, the Blues were in second place and they were still playing a back-four – yet to meet Liverpool and Arsenal. Yet to suffer consecutive losses that would eventually see Conte reshape tactics in England.
In the interview, Henry said he loved that not a single player in Conte’s squads thought of themselves above the team. The Italian’s response was curt and to the point.
“If someone does not have a good attitude during the training session, or good behaviour in different circumstances, I prefer to kill him than have 22 players.” – Conte
Although Henry was doubled over laughing at the incredulity of the statement, Conte had delivered the words so matter-of-factly – with all the seriousness of a Sicilian mafia boss – even though he may have been struggling to find the right words to get his point across. But there was no better way to make his point.
Taking over a title-winning team that had finished a lowly 10th the season before, Conte was sending a clear message to his players. An offer that could not be refused. He was letting them know that nobody upset the new Godfather at Stamford Bridge.
Learning from the very best
Conte is no stranger to winning trophies; the former Juventus midfielder had won five Serie A titles and a Champions League trophy as a player. But he would be the first to admit that there was nothing special about his technique and skills on the ball.
Having learned to play football on a pockmarked churchyard in Lecce (a city in the ‘heel’ of the Italian peninsula), he did make it big as a teenager when he turned professional. But a move to Juventus when he was only 21 saw him overwhelmed by the star-studded cast which featured the likes of Roberto Baggio being coached by the legendary Giovanni Trapattoni.
It wasn’t until his second season when he really made his mark. His style of play was similar to his management style now – all about dedication, running hard till the final whistle and displaying the attributes of a leader in the centre of the pitch – enough to earn a call-up to the Italy squad for the 1994 World Cup.
“When I was a player, my efforts and work-rate, my willingness to sacrifice fitness and humility, made up for my lack of pure talent.” – Conte
At the time, the Azzurri were managed by none other than Arrigo Sacchi – the last man to defend the erstwhile European Cup before the Champions League was formed. Although he led them to the final that year, losing to Brazil on penalties (poor Baggio missed the penalty that would have kept them alive), he wasn’t exactly popular with all the players.
Sacchi was a man fuelled by the desire to win and football consumed him to the point where he would even yell instructions in his sleep. At the dinner table, nobody dared sit next to him lest they be drawn into a mentally exhausting conversation after a physically taxing day on the training ground.
Every player except for Conte.
He would wait till everyone took their place at the dinner table and then sit beside Sacchi, absorbing everything he said like a sponge.
“All the time he was watching and learning. I knew that he was going to be a coach one day.” – Carlo Ancelotti
Even when he’d hung up his boots and completed a degree in sports science from the University of Foggia, he looked for any opportunity to learn the various methods of coaching football. And in his autobiography, he recalls how he tried to study the methods of another mad genius – Louis van Gaal.
At the time, the Dutch manager was the coach at Eredivisie side AZ Alkmaar and Conte tried to take a sneak-peek into a closed training session when a security guard hauled him up for ‘spying on Van Gaal’.
“I’m not spy. Player, old player... Juventus. I want to see… to see training,” he stammered much to the bemusement of his beloved wife Elisabetta. It was a turning point in Conte’s life as it was that moment he decided he had to learn English as well.
Putting his foot down in Turin
Not a man to beat around the bush, Conte got straight to the point in his first training session after he was appointed Juventus coach.
“It’s time we stopped being crap!” – Conte
Having won so many titles in the past, Juve were floundering following their return to the top flight in the aftermath of the Calciopoli scandal. The Old Lady had finished seventh in the previous two seasons.
It wasn’t that they did not have the squad to win it all. Of course, they did. They just needed a push and Conte was only too happy to shove. He had his ball of clay and all he had to do was mould the team in his image – a hard-working, in-your-face unit that was focused on the relentless pursuit of victory.
As a player, he hated not having a teammate to pass the ball to and he ensured that was never the case with his teams. “I wanted to find solutions for my players when the ball reached them,” he explained.
He spared no one that season. Players were asked to come into training even if they had a day off while double training sessions were held if there was a night game. Those who refused to work with him quickly found themselves on the periphery of the squad without so much as a nod in their direction for the rest of the season before being packed off.
It worked.
The previous season they had lost 10 league games. In Conte’s first season, Juventus promptly finished the season unbeaten!
“The success was all his, a triumph of bloody-mindedness that went beyond everyone’s expectations. Conte was like a man possessed, the very essence of Juventus burned deep into his soul.” – Andrea Pirlo
Even if the league title was already sealed, Conte never took his foot off the pedal. Gianluigi Buffon found out the hard way when before the final game of the season he sauntered into a video review session to discuss player bonuses for winning the Scudetto.
Conte exploded and brought the roof down. “I don’t want to hear another word! From you, of all people, I would never have expected such a thing. You’re a disappointment, a defeat from the moment you open your mouth!”
They won 3-0.
When Conte took up the post of Italian national team coach, few expected him to be successful. The Italian squad at his disposal was one of the worst in recent years. But Conte made them work as a unit and gained a lot of respect when they managed to exceed expectations at Euro 2016 with convincing victories over Belgium and Spain before losing on penalties to Germany.
Conte, however, had lost some respect prior to the tournament after the deal to take over at Chelsea became public. How could he stay focused on the job at hand with the Azzurri when his mind was already in London, they asked. But this was Conte and he made a number of critics eat their words.
Redefining English football
Conte had taken up the Chelsea offer only because he missed working on a day-to-day basis, preparing for games the very next weekend instead of the next international break. To him, it was also a challenge – to lift a squad that had seen its soul destroyed by Jose Mourinho’s brazen methods and his anti-establishment stance.
His pre-season was all about rejuvenating the side and training them on various physical, tactical and mental aspects. Some sessions lasted as long as six hours and Conte required lozenges for his throat thanks to all the shouting.
The switch to the back-three had worked wonders and it challenged every manager to adapt. Many who tried failed miserably (Ronald Koeman tried to match Conte’s formation and Everton lost 5-0), unable to figure out how to counter Chelsea when they overloaded their defensive line with attacking wing-backs.
Those who figured it out did so too late with the Blues far ahead in the title race. Only Arsene Wenger got the better of him in the FA Cup final with a similar formation but it was Conte’s system that inspired Wenger to change his ways after two decades of playing four at the back.
Conte now faces another challenge that will test him and one that he never came to terms with at Juventus – performing at the same level in the Champions League. But the back-three looks like it is here to stay in the Premier League – a tactical revolution inspired by the man who had been so successful with it in Italy.
The merciless Godfather of Stamford Bridge
Even before the season started, Conte had been slapped in the face with a transfer request from Diego Costa. While he was not too forthcoming about the Costa predicament in press conferences, behind the scenes he was giving Costa absolute hell with Conte even blowing his top in a training ground incident that later became public.
When Atletico decided to sign Kevin Gameiro instead, Costa had no choice but to crawl back to Conte. “When Atletico didn’t wait for me, I had to go to Conte with the tail between my legs,” he explained.
To his credit, Conte got Costa up and running again and, despite lucrative offers from the Chinese Super League threatening to derail Chelsea’s title challenge, Conte kept the striker focused on the task at hand. Not many expected Conte to win the title in his first season (including yours truly) but his revolutionary change to a back-three had done the job while Costa’s 20 goals propelled them to the title.
And once the season was over, Costa was told he was no longer in his plans. Conte made it very clear to him – via a text message.
“I had a simple little message on my mobile from Conte in which he said that he isn't counting on me for next season. It's clear that the coach doesn't want me there.” – Diego Costa
It was also a huge blow to Costa as Atletico Madrid’s transfer ban was upheld a few days earlier, ensuring that he cannot “return home” unless he plans to twiddle his thumbs on the sidelines for six months before he can be registered as a Rojiblanco again.
At Chelsea, Conte desperately needed Costa as the club had not bought well last summer and he had also been busy leading Italy to the Euro 2016 quarter-finals to work the transfer market. Now, he has an entire summer to prepare.
Perhaps this is what makes Conte a ruthless man that must be feared and respected. His teams draw strength from unity, much like a wolf pack. Anyone who does not fit into the program is discarded once he no longer has any use for them.
It’s nothing personal. It’s strictly business.
It’s how the Godfather operates.