Conte: ‘Italian coaches don’t look at league first, Tottenham’s schedule is crazy’

Antonio Conte is ‘happy’ to face his friend Igor Tudor in Tottenham-Marseille tomorrow and insists Italian coaches don’t prioritise league over cups.

The Italian tactician will face Marseille at home tomorrow in the opening game of the Champions League Group D.

He will meet his former Juventus teammate Igor Tudor who was appointed Marseille coach last summer after a successful spell at Verona.

“Igor is a friend and we play together at Juve for many years,” Conte said at a press conference, as quoted by Football London.

“He is a really good guy and I am really happy to see him on the bench in an important club in Europe. He’s doing a really good job, he likes to work a lot and his team has an idea very clear and I wish him all best for him and Marseille apart from two games against us.”

Conte doesn’t seem happy with Tottenham’s packed fixture list this season: “Honestly to see this schedule about Tottenham is incredible. It’s crazy,” he said.

“We played three games in six days against Nottingham Forest, West Ham and Fulham, now we are playing after four days and then play three important games against Marseille, City away, Sporting Lisbon away in six days. Maybe it’s the first time in my career to see a schedule like this.”

Conte won the Champions League once as a footballer, in 1996 with Juventus, but lost three Finals while in Turin, against Borussia Dortmund (1997), Real Madrid (1998) and Milan (2003). The match against the Rossoneri was played at Old Trafford and saw the Bianconeri lose on penalties.

“It was my last final in my career played at Manchester United [Old Trafford] and finished 0-0. I hit the crossbar with a header and I was unlucky, then we lost on penalties.

“Ancelotti’s previous season was at Juventus and then he signed for Milan. I think he had big, big revenge.”

Juventus sacked Ancelotti in 2001 after failing to win the title in his two years at the club. Conte was among his players in Turin.

The current Real Madrid boss was used as an example by Conte when asked whether Italian coaches prioritise league games over European fixtures.

“No, I don’t think because we have Carlo Ancelotti who won the Champions League with Milan and Real Madrid, Milan are really a top team. I remember the final I lost [in 2003] when he was at Milan.”