Can Conte Repeat Juventus Magic With Chelsea?

Many are hoping  he will not end up like Country mate, Gianfranco Zola . Like Juventus, Chelsea are a club accustomed to winning. They have finished no lower than sixth for 20 years. For most of that time they have been in the top three. Since Roman Abramovich turned up in 2003, they have won four league titles and the Champions League among other trophies.

If Chelsea were looking for a man specifically to lead them from the unfamiliar surrounds of mid-table back to the title fight, they could not have hand-picked a better candidate than Conte. He is itching to get back to working on a day-to-day basis and has been improving his English steadily since leaving Juve. 

“There is no question about the coach being the architect of this success, he has given the squad new life, he provided a turning point and gave us an identity,” Juve midfielder Claudio Marchisio said in the summer of 2012 after Conte had led the Old Lady to the title the first time of asking. Juventus went through that season unbeaten. The only domestic game they lost was the Coppa Italia final to Napoli which denied them a double.It was a stunning introduction to coaching at the top level for Conte, a man who had given the best part of his footballing life to Juve. The affinity he had for the club, the city, the supporters cannot be underestimated as a factor in their success but there was more to it than emotion. 

He oversaw the total reconstruction of a defensive system which had conceded 47 goals the season before. He recognised the strengths of Andrea Barzagli, Leonardo Bonucci and Giorgio Chiellini and put them into a back three. They conceded just 20 times, the best in Italy. None had played any significant amount of football in that line-up before. 

That 3-5-2 brought the best from new signings Andrea Pirlo and Aruto Vidal, as well as players already on the books like Claudio Marchisio. Juventus had reportedly been tempted to sell their one-time academy golden boy but Conte made him a centre-piece. Likewise, Bonucci had experienced a poor opening season to his Juventus stay but was an integral part of Conte’s tactics. So it was not only about fielding massive money signings, it was about improving the players on the books physically and mentally.That, then, will come as a sign of encouragement for Chelsea fans. Their players will have to carry the blame for such a poor season with stars like Thibaut Courtois, Cesc Fabregas, Eden Hazard and Diego Costa too often failing to hit their levels of previous seasons. Conte must draw the best from those already there as well as integrate any potential new signings like Gonzalo Higuain, his preferred striking candidate. 

“The main objective is to return to being contenders, in keeping with the history of Juve. We will do everything to take the club back to those levels,” Conte said upon being unveiled as the new Juventus coach in 2011. Well, he can repeat that opening statement for Chelsea. If there is one criticism that could be levied against Conte is that he either underestimated his Juve team’s own strengths in the continental arena or failed to grasp the complexities of preparing his team for European football. Coming up against different styles as Italy coach will have broadened his horizons, though, and could help ensure he is better equipped for leading Chelsea in Europe. That won’t be a problem for the first season at least. 

Additional:Goal.com