Former Juventus coach Marcello Lippi said Antonio Conte was ‘a driving force’ and Zinedine Zidane was the ‘technical leader’ during their time in Turin.
Lippi, who was the CT when Italy won the World Cup in 2006, trained Zidane and Conte at Juventus during a successful spell in the 1990s.
Zizou played five years in Turin and helped Juventus win two Scudetti, when Conte was the captain of the team.
“They were two leaders. I had a lot of them during that time,” Lippi told La Gazzetta dello Sport.
Former Juventus coach Marcello Lippi said Antonio Conte was ‘a driving force’ and Zinedine Zidane was the ‘technical leader’ during their time in Turin.
Lippi, who was the CT when Italy won the World Cup in 2006, trained Zidane and Conte at Juventus during a successful spell in the 1990s.
Zizou played five years in Turin and helped Juventus win two Scudetti, when Conte was the captain of the team.
“They were two leaders. I had a lot of them during that time,” Lippi told La Gazzetta dello Sport.
“There was the charismatic leader, who said the right words at the right time, the technical one and the character.
“Zizou was the technical leader, everyone gave him the ball because he would solve any situation. He was ‘the pattern’. They made runs knowing he would see them and find them.
“Antonio was the character, a driving force in training and games.”
Lippi said the two completed each other and recalls a moment when Zidane won the ball back after Conte lost it trying to dribble.
“There was a great feeling. That Juve was a perfect mosaic with Conte at mezzala and Zizou No10 in the 4-3-1-2.
“They were also good at making fun of themselves. One time when Conte tried to dribble and lost the ball for the opponents to counter, Zizou chased the player and took the ball from him.
“Antonio told me: ‘Coach, have you seen Zizou? That’s not his job, that’s my job’.”
The former coach expects Lautaro Martinez to struggle a little without Romelu Lukaku by his side in Madrid but stressed it’s a ‘particular moment’ for the hosts too.
The hosts have picked up one point so far, as Inter have drawn both their two initial games in the competition.
“Neither Inter nor Real are at their best in this particular moment,” he said. “Zizou has recovered in La Liga by winning El Clasico.
“Antonio is playing well, his is more a problem of results. In the summer, Lukaku-Lautaro did extraordinary things. Maybe the Argentine will suffer a little without Lukaku.
“I didn’t understand how Real could have lost in that way against Shakhtar. Perhaps there was no [Sergio] Ramos, perhaps too much rotation.
“This match could be a play-off and Zizou will not give anything away, but I hope an Italian will win.”