Conte’s tough return in Turin

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Tuesday February 9 2021

Conte’s tough return in Turin

Antonio Conte had a rather difficult return to Turin where Inter were eliminated from the Coppa Italia at the hands of his former club Juventus and Lorenzo Bettoni tells us what happened at the Allianz Stadium.

Conte had never beaten Juve before last month when his Inter side won 2-0 against the Old Lady and seemed to have put an end to the Bianconeri’s domestic domination.

This evening, he returned to the Allianz Stadium as an opponent for the second time in his career and was eliminated from the Coppa Italia one week after losing the first leg clash 2-1 at the Meazza.

It wasn’t a night to remember for the former Italy and Chelsea tactician who did not only suffer elimination, but was also involved in unedifying scenes with Juventus President Andrea Agnelli.

After the game, Conte moaned Juventus "should be more polite" and "need more sportsmanship and respect for those who work.”

The comment came after Agnelli had been caught on cameras allegedly shouting “Fu** off, shut up a**hole,” to the coach.

It is Conte, however, who seems to be the first one to have shown a lack of respect as video circulating on social media proves he showed the middle finger to Juventus' directors during the half time break.

The relationship between the coach and the President, collapsed in the summer of 2014 when, after three successive Serie A titles, Conte suddenly decided to hand his resignation one day into pre-season.

He was not happy with the club’s transfer strategies and thought he could not go any further with that team. He could not be more wrong as his successor Max Allegri won 11 trophies in the following five seasons, reaching the Champions League final twice.

Since that moment, Agnelli and Conte can’t bear each other even if Agnelli, exactly one year ago, said: “Conte is and will always be a Juventus legend.”

The Allianz Stadium clash was vibrant even if it ended with a goalless draw. You could feel it in the air. There was something different about this game.

Players on both benches didn’t make the fans’ absence felt as they were cheering and supporting their teammates loudly from the benches. Move after move, tackle after tackle, the game was not only on the field, but on the sidelines too.

Conte appealed for a penalty kick iduring the first half with Leonardo Bonucci shouting over : “Respect the referee.” It was only the beginning of a long night for the Italian tactician who, luckily for him perhaps, has never faced Juventus with a crowd at the Allianz Stadium.

Conte was insulted by Juventus fans before the game even started when around 100 fans gathered outside the gates of the Allianz Stadium to welcome the team buses. Sadly, as usual they screamed all sort of things at their former coach.

Juventus fans feel betrayed by him and this feeling is not going to change despite Conte spending 12 seasons in Turin as a player and three more as a coach.

He won 13 pieces of silverware in black and white. Nevertheless, his relationship with the fans and with Agnelli seems gone.

The Juventus' No.1 vetoed a possible return of Conte on the Old Lady's bench over the last two seasons and after tonight there is even less chance of seeing the Italian coach ever return to the Black and White side of Turin.

@lorebetto

Have your say...

Urban Surfer

Just another cheap stunt from Conte trying to divert attention from his incredible limitations. Last time he blamed the ref, got suspended, so people talk about that, instead of his incompetence. Now he did gestures and transmitted nervouseness. Incredible how a guy can pocket a NET of 12m euro/year for only having 1 plan, right? Conte never took blame for defeat and curiously, it`s never his fault.

on the 15th February, 2021 at 3:06pm

Blah Blah Blah

One of the pathetic Inter fans here talked about integrity and morals. Very funny. @dzurjakcsopi, Googling "Calcio’s Greatest Shame" and read it carefully before you preach about integrity and morals.

on the 13th February, 2021 at 10:22am

mmm pizzagaina

idk... Juve fans seem awful the way they turn on Conte. he was a great important player for them and the catalyst for their resurgence to greatness as coach. so when Pirlo goes will he be hated too? i think hes important for serie A and italian calcio. he nearly pulled a miracle at euro 16 with the saddest azzurri squad at its lowest point ever. i think Inter-Juve-Milan rivalry is good. i hope he wins something for Inter, they/owners need him more than they think. give him a break.

on the 13th February, 2021 at 2:43am

Nathan Tipping

Crazy Stuff! Conte doesn't really help himself does he? He needs to focus on the football.

on the 12th February, 2021 at 3:39pm

Juulesy

Maybe Conte was just giving a preview of the new logo, er, crest?

on the 12th February, 2021 at 12:27am

dzurjakcsopi

@Vinman

Thanks god for that. There is only one rubentus, and that is one too many. It was already a mistake to take Conte, just look at him, he is still one of yours. No class, arrogant etc. But I can safely say , that no other team wants to be rubentus. We all have integrity and morals. Happy that you do not, we need diversity.

on the 11th February, 2021 at 11:03pm

Walter White

@Google: Calcio’s Greatest Shame is juventus....Guess you belive in Santa Claus, flat earth and juventus innocence.
Serie B!

on the 11th February, 2021 at 7:55pm

Jimmy_Stallion

What no one is mentioning is that Bonucci rattled Conte from the bench. Classic!

on the 11th February, 2021 at 5:14pm

MaestroBall

The funny thing about Conte, he left Juve before pre season start because he cant take Juve any further in Euro without spending hundreds of millions, and yet Allegri took Juve into the 2 UCL finals. Then he went to coach Chelsea who can spend more money than Juve that time, did he even win UCL? Nahhhh this guy is a joke, so happy Allegri added another 5 scuddeti

on the 11th February, 2021 at 5:10pm

Google: Calcio’s Greatest Shame

@Walter White How does it feel to be both? FIGC handed Palazzi the responsibility of pouring over all the evidence from the Calciopoli II trial in Naples a year ago, during which it was revealed that former Inter directors had had contact with referees and a number of other high-profile Italian football leaders between 2004 and 2006. according to the findings of the FIGC’s chief investigator, it is Inter, Milan and Livorno who should have been relegated in 2006 and not Juventus.

on the 11th February, 2021 at 2:21pm

Vinman

You can take our former manager, you can take our former Director, but you will NEVER be Juve !!! Conte has made a joke of himself, and deserves to be a losing manager on a loser team. A match made in Heaven !!! What excuses will he give when he comes away empty handed in May ???

on the 11th February, 2021 at 1:25pm

I miss Luciano Moggi @ Juventus

What I find intriguing about all of the comments here is they are all about Conte. It takes two to tango after all and obviously Conte was immature to react to the Rube ambush, because he has much more to lose. Same as Ibra thought Lukaku had much more to lose when he provoked him. It does not always work like that '..the best laid schemes of mice and men...'

on the 11th February, 2021 at 12:25pm

Blah Blah Blah

@blackandblue

"Inter gifted two goals..." Hahaha, pathetic Inter fan refuses to admit his team is outplayed by Juve's tactic. So much bias in your pathetic post. I'm not surprised when it comes out from the loser's perspective.

on the 11th February, 2021 at 7:59am

Walter White

@Hahaha Rather looser than a cheater! Serie B!

on the 11th February, 2021 at 6:47am

Anonymous

Penalty?LOL., it’s Lautaro kicked Bernar’s leg otherwise there’s no contact at all. When u try to shoot, the defender put his leg in front or near the ball, u will get a penalty if u kick the defender’s leg, This explains why all the Inter owners bankrupt, coz it’s a club full of m()Rons. If It’s a penalty, Inter or Conte would protest it again and again. Why they did not talk about the penalty anymore after the match?
Inter did play a good match in the first round. But not at all the second.

on the 11th February, 2021 at 5:39am

Anonymous

@ TorreDG
How many matches do Juventus need to play this season? They have to balance each game and rotate squad regularly(4-5 players different). Of course they suffered from the rotation, losing too many points vs the small teams. Of course Inter played similar number of games, but who gives the damn to the euro league,
Just have a look at the the leader’s point from the top 5 European leagues, average like 2 point per game, which is impossible pre COVID.

on the 11th February, 2021 at 2:40am

Anonymous

@blackandblue

If you see contact there, when my dude kicked the grass and squealed in feign pain, there are two possible scenarios I can think of. Either you have terrible sight, or you are hallucinating... in either scenario, you need to see a doctor. You might not be well.

on the 11th February, 2021 at 2:28am

Google: Calcio’s Greatest Shame

Look at the Inter boys crying. Always the same mumbo jumbo

on the 11th February, 2021 at 12:26am

Ali

I'm just here to say, it's so nice to kick Inter out of the coppa. I couldn't give less of a damn about Conte or Agnelli, they can fight all they want. The important thing is....wait for it.....that Inter got kicked out. Seeing their fans blaming it on the referee, Agnelli, pink elephants in the sky, a baboon taking a dump in the jungle, who cares? It just makes it so much more enjoyable. So cry on cry babies, and enjoy getting kicked out.

on the 10th February, 2021 at 10:44pm

I MISS MARCO BRANCA AT INTER

When Inter tied Shaktar 0-0 he blamed the refs and var, when Inter tied Udinese 0-0 he blamed Maresca, but when you tie Juve 0-0 and have to listen to the other team mock him by saying "respect the referee" the referee does not get mentioned in his post-game interview ..... coincidence ? i think not ! Conte needs a plan B for an excuse because his plan A of excuses is getting old.

on the 10th February, 2021 at 9:52pm

Blackandblue

Ok so Juve fans watched the match and actually think they played better.Inter gifted two goals in the first half that's the only way they could've scored. Regarding the penalty claim it's clear it should've been checked by VAR because if you watch the replays and not see a contact then you're blind. Let's not forget inter were refused a penalty in a very similar situation like the one "Cuadrado the Diver" got against Young.Yes Lautaro hit the ground but what caused him to hit the ground ?

on the 10th February, 2021 at 8:48pm

dzurjakcsopi

So much class of the rubentini. Agnelli, well we all know him and his family, did not expect anything else from him. Conte was , is and will be one of them. Family feud.

on the 10th February, 2021 at 7:35pm

Anonymous

Conte further and further ruins his image. He is a loud mouth that always whines and complains. Once he's done at inter you won't see him coaching any team for awhile cause controversy follows him wherever he goes.

on the 10th February, 2021 at 6:17pm

JUVE101

Yes it was a good Juve result and a solid enough defensive performance. But Europe is round the corner and we need to be able to take the initiative. This past month has seen very pleasing results, but I'll remain skeptical until I see a dominant display over 2 legs vs Porto.

on the 10th February, 2021 at 3:31pm

Anonymous

It's hard to see your loyal legend with the same passionate face works for your arch-rival. that's understandable.
It seems the Agnelli family couldn't pay enough to buy Conte's pride. although they could buy many people and players on and off the field but seemingly, not him. after all he was more Loyal to his human skin than a zebra one.
I can see why all zebra colored fans are angry with him and on top of them, the guy who is used to buy people with money and achieve things by lobbying.

on the 10th February, 2021 at 2:10pm

TorreDG

Perhaps Conte was frustrated because Inter brought the game to Juve all night as they laid back with 7 players and more in the box to defend their lead. Juve had a few counterattacks but showed no desire to try to win this game decisively. Tactically well played but cowardly.
This isn't the first time that Juventini fans have showed a lack of class & respect for other teams. Is this the way the champions of Italy behave or are they a reflection of the giant ego of management. Credit to Conte

on the 10th February, 2021 at 2:09pm

Rosario

Neither of these two spoilt brats have come out of this with integrity intact. Both as embarrassing as the other. Agnelli especially as he's in a more senior role. You'd expect him to have more class and set an example. Instead, he's acted in the same petulant way that Conte portrays week in week out on the bench. The Lautaro incident being the 'perfect' example. Directing his players to put the ball out and insulting officials constantly throughout the game. No class.

on the 10th February, 2021 at 12:20pm

Anonymous

The toupet tactician. Does anyone still take him seriously?

on the 10th February, 2021 at 10:00am

Romanzo1897

Incredible. Yesterday's match was decent, nothing special. But the Agnelli-Conte incident really takes the cake. First, Conte flips the middle finger (see videos on Twitter), and then he actually has the audacity to tell the Juve directors to be more polite... in front of a live camera. Wow. Yes, as a Juve fan I'm biased and Agnelli's insult wasn't exactly classy, but Conte once again showed his true colors. Shame.

on the 10th February, 2021 at 9:52am

Interello

it's so pathetic, like stupid schoolboys and not accomplished men.

on the 10th February, 2021 at 9:11am

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