Juventus’ Antonio Conte has won the Panchina d’Oro award as Serie A’s best Coach for 2011-12.
Conte was voted the Golden Bench prize on Monday by his fellow managers after leading an unbeaten Juventus side, who had finished seventh in Serie A before his arrival, to the Scudetto. He is the first Juventus coach to win the award since Marcello Lippi (1995/1996)
“I’m emotional,” the former midfielder stated at the ceremony at Coverciano. “This is a really sought after accolade.
“I thank those who voted for me and also those who didn’t. This is an important push for me to keep studying and getting better as a Coach.
“I also want to thank my players as us Coaches are nothing without them. Returning to Juventus was a dream come true for me.”
Conte continues to build his reputation as Juventus are on track to retain their Serie A crown and are all but assured a place in the Champions League quarter-finals after his side beat Celtic 3-0 in the first leg in Glasgow last week.
He has been linked with a move to Chelsea this summer, but why would he leave?
He is a former Juventus player, presiding over the best team in Italy. With the revenue from their stadium, Juve is the strongest team in Italy financially, and that financial power should allow Juve to compete with the biggest clubs in Europe. So if he can continue to win trophies in Italy, and challenge for them in Europe, why would Conte be interested in moving to the madhouse that is Chelsea?
