After a few weeks of excitement, there’s now a growing realisation in Italy that Antonio Conte probably won’t be walking out on Tottenham Hotspur to rescue Juventus next summer.
The manager won three Serie A titles in a row with the Turin club, leaving in 2014 to take over the Italian national side. Since then there’s been repeat claims that he could return, and the current issues at Juve have only encouraged such talk.
Juventus finished fourth last season, and currently find themselves eighth and 10 points behind leaders Napoli. That, of course, isn’t considered good enough and there’s been many doubts placed around the future of Massimo Allegri.
Conte has therefore been seen as an option, but Italian journalist Massimo Brambati insists the Bianconeri have likely missed their chance to take the manager back, doing so through misplaced pride.
Quoted by Il Bianconero, Brambati says ‘Tottenham are about to lock him down’, and further explains: “I would have focused and would still focus on Antonio Conte, to whom I would give the keys to Juve and also the market, to build a winning project in five years. Unfortunately, the most serious mistake of the Juventus club was not to bet, out of pride and for reasons of principle, on the Lecce coach, who could now be armoured by Tottenham. In London they saw him working and are realising who they have their hands on.”
There will still be some hope until Spurs manage to secure a new contract and Conte completely commits for the long term, but Juve’s chances appear to be drifting away.
