Suspended Juventus coach Antonio Conte gave his first “interview” in months as he answered Bianconeri fans’ questions on Twitter.
Conte covered a wide range of subjects during the chat, everything from his ban, Del Piero, the Champions League and more. Here are some of Conte’s answers to the fans questions.
Not Being In The Dugout
“I really miss it. I have had to work three times as hard in the last three months because while before I could physically intervene during matches, now it is much more difficult. But luckily I have a great team of assistants and highly responsible players.
I really miss not being able to sit in the dugout, feel the turf under my feet, have that direct contact with my players, the opponents, the fans and everyone else”.
The Suspension
“I could not have got by without the unconditional support of my family and Andrea Agnelli. I would like all those people who have judged me to know just what it feels like to be considered guilty when you are innocent. When I started, Andrea Agnelli told me that he hoped I would have a career like Ferguson. I am exactly where I want to be and I hope to stay here for a long time”.
Playing In The Champions League
“Has the draw against Nordsjaelland complicated matters? There is no point looking backwards. Even though the draw was an unfair result. We had at least 30 shots on target and the Danes are not a third division team as some people have said.
Now we have two tough matches against Lazio and Chelsea. Mancini and Ancelotti say it takes years before you can win the Champions League however much money you invest. So what should we say? But football is not just a question of money. What happens now depends on us. And should we not be good enough, then we will play in the Europa League
Winning
“Winning as a coach is even better than winning as a player. I could only have dreamt about winning the Scudetto in my first season as the coach of Juventus. When we won the title, we all hugged each other and said very little. We wept with joy because we knew just how hard we had worked to achieve that.
And we are still very hungry for success. Perhaps we have not played with the same intensity and determination in a couple of matches and I congratulate Inter on their win over us. They will be in the title race right to the last. But you have to respect this Juve as the team plays good football and was unbeaten for 49 matches in a row.”
Juve’s Forwards
“Results are the best reply. I have five forwards, like last season. If I play the same two forwards for 2-3 matches in a row, then I can’t play the others. What is important for me is that whoever I choose always plays well. There are no absolute hierarchies. They are all on a par, even though they have different characteristics. I choose the players who are most in form and who are best suited to the match. 4-3-3? That is a more defensive formation than the one we use.
His relationship with Del Piero?
“I have always had a very frank, open relationship with Ale. Last season he made a very important contribution to our winning the Scudetto. Now I watch him play and support Sydney F.C.”.
